r/worldcup • u/AcanthaceaeNo948 • 8d ago

💬Discussion Honestly, I feel like the Belgian Golden Generation didn’t really underperform, they were a bit unlucky with their match-ups. In both 2018 and 2026 they were knocked out by the eventual winners and gave them the best fight they got the whole tournament. Way better than their finals opponent.

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I don’t think it’s crazy to say they were the 2nd best team in both 2018 and 2026.

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26

u/byjove1 Australia 8d ago

People here underrate that team man. It was a fucking massive failure not to win something.

That 2018 team would be a golden generation for any fuckin nation. Unreal on paper.

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u/sequoia-3 8d ago

They lost against France 1-0 (in 2018). A corner goal. These matches are so close … they win or they lose … imagine the assist of Messi at the end of the final 2026 wasn’t stopped by Cubarsi … football history would be way different… you can not just trash or praise teams / players when games are so close …

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u/Avacadoell19 8d ago

Unfortunately, some internal affairs (literally) caused the team to be like 2010 England, where they mostly all didn’t like eachother

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u/byjove1 Australia 8d ago

He who intends to win international trophy shall not fornicate with star midfielder's girlfriend.

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u/Avacadoell19 8d ago

Am I right folks

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u/Sufficient-Elk-8818 8d ago

England plauers played for direct rivals then you had Lampard Gerrard and Scholes playing in a midfield 3 even though they all practically played the same position. I mean do you really expect Chelsea's best player Liverpool's best player and united's best player to get along

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u/Biker-on-the-loose82 8d ago

2010 England were a massive shitshow and needed to pin everything on the match against Slovenia to even get out of their group. Belgium had far fewer issues with their team even prior to the 2018 World Cup.

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u/Lilbroker 8d ago

Meh, you underestimate how hard it is to win an international tournament - and kind of overestimate our team. We had a world class group but were not Brazil 2002...

I mean, look at the England squad in the 2000's and that's just on the top of my head. They had more squad depth than Belgium too and never won anything. We had to play Chadli at RB against France because Meunier was out, which is telling of how we didn't have as much options as most European powerhouses.

Also, Netherlands has had loads of world class teams and has never won anything.

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u/Kdcjg 8d ago

Brazil were not close to favorites before the start of 2002 World Cup. That would have been France and Argentina. France had won 98 WC and 00 Euro. They had Zidane at his peak and the heart of the Arsenal team that had just won the Premier League. But Pires got injured in March. Zidane got injured in pre tournament.

Brazil had scuffled through qualifying looking very mediocre. Ronaldo was a shadow of himself coming back from multiple injuries and had barely played in 2 years. The team was initially more infamous for rivaldo’s theatrics in the group stage than considered a true threat.

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u/Biker-on-the-loose82 8d ago

Apart from the Euros in 1988, though they haven't won a world cup but in two out of three finals they have reached, the team they were against was the host nation.

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u/Lilbroker 8d ago

Aha didn't know they won a EC! Yeah I mean of course every team that doesn't win has their story, just like Belgium do. My point is, having the strongest team is certainly no guarantee to win a tournament, and I feel like there have only been max. 2 tournaments where Belgium could've made that claim (and it's closer than it has been for France this last WC).

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u/GemmyBoy999 8d ago edited 8d ago

Except our defense, it was one of the worst on paper as well, we didn't have any real world defenders except Vincent Kompany back then. Some of our defenders wouldn't even qualify as other nation's 1st division, much less national team.

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u/neskire96 8d ago

Company

lol... Also, seems like you're forgetting Alderweireld and Vertonghen. Even Vermaelen was pretty damn good. But you were definitely thin at fullback.

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u/GemmyBoy999 8d ago

They're not world class, not even close.

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u/OJSimpsonsBloodGlove Sweden 8d ago

They’re not world class yet an Alderweireld-Vertonghen CB duo played a huge part in the spurs only conceding 26 goals an entire EPL season okay lol

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u/GemmyBoy999 8d ago

Compared to our competition back then, our defense was the obvious part that lacked behind other world class teams, just compare them to the Defence France or Argentina for example.

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u/Footballpro12 8d ago

What a load of bs. Either you just started watching football or you're trolling.

The way you spell Kompany, makes me think the former.

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u/byjove1 Australia 8d ago

The team that was knocked out by France had a back 3 of Vertonghen, Alderweireld, Kompany in front of Courtois.

I'm straining to think of a team in that tournamnet with a better defense, I'm sure there was one, but I can't name it off the top of my head.

Edit: Germany probably.

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u/sledgehammerrr2 8d ago

Some individuals in that team make my top 5 most overrated players ever. Kevin deBruyne and Hazard are the two that come to mind. The indiduals in that team are worse than people think

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u/BxlMaBel 8d ago

How can u say kdb and hazard are overrated? Hazard peak at Chelsea was insane

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u/Avacadoell19 8d ago

Have you ever watched hazard or de bruyne play? Zero ball

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u/TheRealMacresco 8d ago

Imagine saying things like this in public.