The common feeling surrounding Belgium is that the nation failed to fully capitalise on their ‘Golden Generation’, with their best finish at a major tournament coming in the form of a bronze medal at the 2018 FIFA World Cup. Eden Hazard, Vincent Kompany and Jan Vertonghen are now retired, while Kevin de Bruyne, Romelu Lukaku and Axel Witsel are on their last legs. The 2026 World Cup is set to see a passing of the torch. Yet, there is a good chance for De Bruyne, Lukaku and co. to go out with a final hurrah. Let’s discuss why.
Squad Analysis
Belgium’s attack and midfield, albeit good and littered with talented players, don’t quite boast the same world-class venom of the previous two editions. That means the country’s best player is now in goal. Real Madrid’s 6’7″ giant Thibaut Courtois is still one of the world’s premier shot stoppers. Even his deputy – 23-year-old Senne Lammens – has enjoyed a fruitful first year at Manchester United.
The defence is set for a new era. The reliable heads of Kompany, Vertonghen and Toby Alderweireld are now gone. Instead, the defensive responsibilities will now fall on the shoulders of the highly-talented trio of Zeno Debast (22), Koni De Winter (23) and Arthur Theate (26).
All three, and in particular Debast and De Winter, have the skillset a modern-day centre-back requires. The World Cup will show whether they also have the grit of their predecessors.
With De Bruyne and Witsel now on the wrong side of 30, Aston Villa’s Youri Tielemans will be the face of the Belgium midfield. He is also the captain of the side. Alongside him, club partner Amadou Onana forms a strong base.
Manchester City forward Jeremy Doku is likely to be at the heart of Belgium’s attacking threat. The left-winger showed glimpses of his goal-scoring ability towards the end of the 2025-26 season, and the World Cup could be the ideal platform to truly showcase that potential. Talents like Charles De Ketelaere and Matias Fernandez-Pardo are also ones to watch out for.
Finally, the quality of their senior stars cannot be discarded. De Bruyne and Lukaku could still be game-changers, even if they may not play the entire 90 minutes.
Why Belgium Can Go Far
The other aspect that could prove to be beneficial for Belgium is their FIFA World Cup 2026 draw. Placed in Group G, Belgium will face Egypt, Iran and New Zealand – nations they are more than capable of finishing above, even if their squad isn’t as strong as previous editions.
Top spot in Group G would mean that Belgium would likely face the third-placed team from another group in the Round of 32.
Then, given how the draw stacks up, the winner of Group D (featuring USA, Turkey, Paraguay, Australia), could be Belgium’s likely opponent in a potential Round of 16. Tricky opponents, yes, but Belgium would be the favourite.
If the likely cards fall, Belgium’s route to the quarter-finals is not the most impossible hill to climb. And a quarter-final entry would already make it the nation’s third-best finish at a World Cup.
Kevin De Bruyne And Romelu Lukaku: A Final Crack At The Cherry
The 2026 FIFA World Cup is almost certainly the last dance for Kevin De Bruyne and Romelu Lukaku, but it also gives them a chance at redemption.
Lukaku was at the centre of negativity during the 2022 edition, as he missed multiple chances, resulting in Belgium’s group stage exit.
On the other hand, De Bruyne cut a discontent figure in 2022, stating that the team was “too old” to have any chance of doing well in that World Cup.
Four years later, the duo are still here despite being well into their thirties. De Bruyne has won a treble at club level in the meantime, while Lukaku has enjoyed renaissance seasons in the Serie A.
Belgium’s 2026 squad has an abundance of young talent, with De Bruyne and Lukaku two of only nine players above the age of 30. The playing XI is set to have at least six or seven players who are in their early-to-mid twenties. In such a mixture, De Bruyne and Lukaku have the chance to make a decisive difference with their experience of playing and winning on the biggest stage of football. And surely there would be no bigger motivation than proving that the ‘Golden Generation’ still has some glitter left.
Belgium’s World Cup Squad
Goalkeepers: Thibaut Courtois (Belgium), Senne Lammens (Manchester United), Mike Penders (Strasbourg)
Defenders: Zeno Debast (Sporting CP), Arthur Theate (Eintracht Frankfurt), Koni De Winter (AC Milan), Maxim De Cuyper (Brighton), Timothy Castagne (Fulham), Thomas Meunier (Lille), Nathan Ngoy (Lille), Brandon Mechele (Brugge), Joaquin Seys (Brugge)
Midfielders: Kevin De Bruyne (Napoli), Youri Tielemans (Aston Villa), Amadou Onana (Aston Villa), Axel Witsel (Girona), Diego Moreira (Strasbourg), Hans Vanaken (Brugge), Nicolas Raskin (Rangers)
Forwards: Romelu Lukaku (Napoli), Jeremy Doku (Manchester City), Leandro Trossard (Arsenal), Dodi Lukebakio (Benfica), Charles De Ketelaere (Atalanta), Alexis Saelemaekers (AC Milan), Matias Fernandez-Pardo (Lille)
Belgium’s Strongest Starting XI: Thibaut Courtois (Gk) | Thomas Meunier, Zeno Debast, Arthur Theate, Maxim De Cuyper | Amadou Onana, Youri Tielemans | Alexis Saelemaekers, Kevin De Bruyne, Jeremy Doku | Romelu Lukaku
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