Just seven years ago, the Belgian national team was ranked 66th in the FIFA World Rankings. This was their lowest position since the system's inception. With such a shocking statistic staring the country in the face, you could forgive them for being slightly pessimistic. However, in the cloud of uncertainty that surrounded them there was hope — the potential beginnings of a new golden generation.
This collection of global superstars should have been world-beaters, dismantling every nation they faced courtesy of the ability and talent at their disposal. So how is it possible that, less than a decade later, we're already contemplating what could have been?
Belgium had never found overwhelming success in football, with their greatest achievement being a runners-up medal at the 1980 European Championships. Since then, they struggled to find an identity for themselves on the international stage — until 2002, when they managed to reach the second round of the World Cup under the guidance of head coach Robert Waseige.
Following the tournament, however, Waseige and a number of important veterans walked away from the national team in search of greener pastures. This left the Red Devils in a state of mediocrity which would last for years as they floundered from one qualifying campaign to the next, while the head coaching position turned into a managerial merry-go-round.
Belgium seemed destined to spend years in the international wilderness. That is, until one event changed the course of their footballing fate.
The 2008 Summer Olympics saw a thoroughly impressive young Belgian side make it all the way to the semi-finals, with talented players like Vincent Kompany, Thomas Vermaelen, Marouane Fellaini, Mousa Dembele and Jan Vertonghen all giving the world a glimpse of the future. Whilst it didn't happen overnight, the general attitude surrounding the squad was an indication of things to come.
A few years passed and, even though there was a fresh crop of new talent, Belgium still couldn't translate it into qualification for a big tournament. It wasn't until Marc Wilmots transitioned from assistant to head coach in 2012 that things really started to snowball as the media began to suggest that Belgium’s new golden generation was on the horizon.
The early signs were good, as the side qualified as unbeaten group winners for the 2014 FIFA World Cup — although, despite winning their group in Brazil, they were unable to overcome Argentina in the quarterfinals, losing 1-0 to the eventual runner-up. Nevertheless, spirits were still high within the team as they went on to qualify for Euro 2016.
In November 2015 Belgium were awarded the top spot of the FIFA World Rankings, cementing their position alongside the top teams in the world. It was a fantastic achievement, but they needed to prove that they could handle the pressure and expectation on their shoulders when they attempted to win the European Championships for the first time in their history.
They failed. All of the hype and the buzz on the planet couldn't help Belgium as they bowed out of Euro 2016 courtesy of a 3-1 loss to Wales in the quarter-finals. Just a few days later, Wilmots was fired and the questions were being asked left right and center: What went wrong?
Fans and pundits alike pointed towards the fact that frontman Romelu Lukaku was left isolated in big tournament games, unable to find success under Wilmots' tactics and direction. Wilmots' inability to create a strong midfield partnership, coupled with the fans not agreeing with team line-ups, didn't help matters. And Wilmots stuck to what he knew, with the lack of versatility on display leaving the nation's top players stifled.
There's an argument to be made that there are too many egos within that Belgium national team, potentially highlighting a similar problem to that of England. Some players may look up and see someone from a rival side and think to themselves "Why am I going to lay a through ball to you?"
With so much uncertainty on display, the next head coach appointment needed to be a big one, and it was — ex-Everton boss Roberto Martinez. The decision was met with mixed reactions, as Martinez had recently been dismissed from his position at Goodison Park for similar reasons to that of Wilmots. Not only that, but legendary striker Thierry Henry has also been announced as his assistant manager.
Some of the players in this squad have been champions up and down the most elite leagues in Europe, and yet success continues to elude them on the highest stage imaginable. As the days tick by on the road to Russia 2018, the one looming question is this: can Martinez and Henry turn Belgium’s supposed golden generation into the world-beaters that they seemed destined to be?
