The challenge of the 'golden generation' of Belgian football to reach the top of the FIFA World Cup is likely to remain an unfulfilled dream.



Belgium failed to advance to the round of 16 after drawing 0-0 with Croatia in the third group F match of the 2022 FIFA World Cup Qatar at the Ahmad Bin Ali Stadium in Al Rayjan, Qatar.



After finishing the group stage with 1 win, 1 draw and 1 loss, Belgium finished third behind Morocco with 2 wins and 1 draw and Croatia with 1 win and 2 draws.



Belgium was one of the favorites to win the tournament, with the so-called 'Golden Generation' at the forefront.



The 'Golden Generation' is the next generation of players fostered by Belgium as they failed to qualify for the World Cup in 2006 and 2010.



Romelu Lukaku, Christian Benteke, Eden Hazard, Marouane Fellaini, Kevin Debrawiner, Jan Vertonghen, Toby Alderweireld, Thibaut Courtois, in almost every position, from attack and defense to midfielder and goalkeeper. World-class players have grown up.



They brought hope to fans by reaching the quarterfinals at the 2014 World Cup in Brazil, and in 2015 they topped the FIFA rankings.



Then, at the 2018 World Cup in Russia, they defeated Brazil in the quarterfinals and showed an activity worthy of their reputation as the 'Golden Generation', but finished in third place after losing to France in the semifinals.



In another major tournament, the European Championships (Euro), it stayed in the quarterfinals in both 2016 and 2020, and eventually finished third in the World Cup, becoming the best result.



In this tournament, they were considered candidates for the championship due to the name value of the players or the FIFA rankings, but in the end, they could not overcome the burden of losing 0-2 in the second group match against Morocco.



Hazard and Debrawiner are currently 31 years old, Vertonghen 35 years old, Alderweireld 33 years old, Courtois 30 years old, and Lukaku 29 years old.



They exposed their difficulties in terms of stamina rather than demonstrating their skill, and the team's ace, The Brawinner, also mentioned in an official interview before the tournament that "our team is too old to win this tournament."



(Photo = Yonhap News)