Belgium will not win the 2026 World Cup. They will not reach the semi-finals. And they probably will not make it past the round of 16. There it is. The take nobody in Brussels wants to hear, but everyone outside Belgium quietly suspects.
The most overrated golden generation in football history arrives at its final tournament with an uncomfortable truth: they never won anything. And there is no logical reason to think this time will be different.
The Peak Was 2018 — And That Was Eight Years Ago
Belgium finished third at Russia 2018. It was a brilliant tournament: they beat Brazil in the quarter-finals with a tactical masterclass from Martínez and a stellar De Bruyne. The consensus said “this generation will win something big.” Eight years later, the trophy cabinet is still empty.
At Euro 2021, they fell in the quarter-finals to Italy. At Qatar 2022, they did not even escape the group stage — eliminated by Morocco and a Croatia side that barely broke a sweat. At Euro 2024, out in the quarters again, this time to France. The trend is not ambiguous: it is a straight downward line.
What has changed between 2024 and 2026 to suggest the curve reverses? Absolutely nothing. In fact, everything has got worse.
De Bruyne at 35: Genius With an Expiry Date
Kevin De Bruyne was the best midfielder in the world for five years. Was. Today he is 35, carries a muscular injury record that should alarm anyone, and has spent a Manchester City season alternating between the starting eleven and the treatment room at a worrying rate.
At his peak, De Bruyne could win matches with a single pass. At 35, he needs a system that protects him. And Belgium do not have that system. Tedesco has not built a structure that compensates for his star’s physical decline. Instead, he still depends on Kevin having an inspired day. Betting your World Cup on the health and form of a 35-year-old player is not bravery — it is irresponsibility.
Compare with what Spain do with Pedri, Gavi, and Rodri: a young, hungry midfield with a defined system. Or what Germany do with Wirtz and Musiala, who are 22 and already dominate Champions League matches. Belgium enter the World Cup with a midfield that looks to the past while their rivals look to the future.
Lukaku: Goals in Turkey, a Ghost in Tournaments
Romelu Lukaku is Belgium’s all-time top scorer. Now look at where he scores those goals: the Turkish Süper Lig. A league that does not rank in Europe’s top ten.
In major tournaments, the story is different. At Qatar 2022, Lukaku missed three clear-cut chances against Croatia in a match where one goal would have sent Belgium through. At Euro 2024, he vanished when needed most. Lukaku is a striker for comfortable leagues and meaningless matches. When the pressure rises, he becomes the most frustrating player on the planet.
Tedesco Is Not the Manager to Break the Curse
Domenico Tedesco arrived at the Belgian bench as a bold, youthful appointment. Two years on, the verdict is clear: Belgium play without identity. They are not the possession side they were under Martínez. They are not a solid defensive block. They are a group of famous names who walk onto the pitch and hope individual talent resolves things.
Group G — Iran, New Zealand, Egypt — is manageable. Belgium will get through. But what happens when the round of 16 brings France, Argentina, or England? A team without a system, with declining veterans, and a manager with no experience at elite tournament level. The perfect recipe for another “could have been but wasn’t.”
The Counter-Argument (And Why It Falls Short)
“But they have Doku, Openda, Trossard, the new generation…” Correct. There is young talent. But Doku is an inconsistent winger who disappears in big matches. Openda has not yet proved himself as a top-level international number nine. And Trossard, for all his merit at Arsenal, is not the type of player who single-handedly changes a knockout tie.
Belgium’s “new generation” is good. But it is not Spain’s or Germany’s. It is a generation of supporting players without a clear leader to take over from De Bruyne. And when De Bruyne fades in the seventieth minute of a round-of-16 match, who takes command?
Nobody. That is the problem. Belgium’s golden generation had a decade to win something big. They did not. The 2026 World Cup is not their redemption — it is their funeral. And the Red Devils will arrive at the tournament dressed in black without knowing it.
Save this article. When Belgium fall in the round of 16 to a team that runs harder, wants it more, and is hungrier, remember who told you.
See the tactical analysis of Belgium as a data-driven counterpoint. All tournament information at the World Cup 2026 hub and check the qualified teams.
Provocative opinion. The facts are the facts.