Story by
Why Belgium’s golden generation deserved more
- Story by
- Why Belgium’s golden generation deserved more
When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission.
Eden Hazard was at the top of his game in 2018. | Credit: Getty Images
Thibaut Courtois, Toby Alderweireld, Thomas Vermaelen, Vincent Kompany, Jan Vertonghen, Kevin De Bruyne, Romelu Lukaku, Eden Hazard.
Advertisement
It's easy to see why the Belgium side of the late 2010s was one of the most-fancied sides in world football, despite the country never having laid claim to a major trophy. They still haven't...but in 2018, they went the closest yet, and Alderweireld feels they deserve more credit for what they achieved.
Belgium finished top of group G ahead of England, Tunisia and Panama without dropping a single point. Their nine goals scored was the best any side managed in the group stage, with Hazard and Lukaku particularly finding form.
After going two goals behind early in the second half of their round of 16 clash with Japan, Belgium roared back to a 3-2 win capped by Nacer Chadli's 94th-minute winner.
And the best was to come in the quarter-finals as Roberto Martinez's side saw off Brazil 2-1 in Kazan to make it to only their second-ever World Cup quarter-final, the previous of which had come in 1986.
Belgium made it to the semi-finals in 2018 | Credit: Getty Images
Alderweireld told FourFourTwo: "They always said our golden generation never won a big game, then that Brazil game was incredible.
Advertisement
"We had a difficult game against Japan in the last 16 – we were 2-0 down, but still won.
"In the quarter-final against Brazil, I was against Neymar, who was at the top of his game.
"He was on the left and I was playing right centre-back in a three.
"But he didn't score, he wasn't dangerous – that was one of my best games during my career and it was an unbelievable feeling to win against Brazil and go through."
Toby Alderweireld didn't give Neymar a sniff | Credit: Getty Images
Belgium went on to lose 1-0 to eventual winners France in the semi-finals, before claiming bronze by beating England again in the third-place play-off.
Alderweireld went on: "It was historic for Belgium. If you think about which teams played the best football at that World Cup, we were up there.
"I'm always going to have a feeling like 'We deserved a little bit more'."
