Euro 2020: Can Belgium’s golden generation finally win a title?

Belgium, the No. 1 ranked team in the world by FIFA, comes into the Euros as a heavy favorite. Can the country’s golden generation finally win them silverware?

Belgium is one of those soccer nations with a long tradition and love for the game, but no trophy to show for it.

It was in 1980 that Belgium finished runners-up to powerhouse West Germany at the Euros. It would put Belgium on a track where they would prove to be one of the world’s best national teams during that decade, although they never captured any silverware.

In 2021, Belgium enters the Euros as one of the favorites. Ranked No. 1 by FIFA, the Red Devils, coached by Roberto Martinez, are aiming to win their first senior-level championship in program history. The hope is that this talent-laden side can build on the third-place finish at the 2018 World Cup, its best finish ever.

Pressure is mounting for Belgium to deliver title at 2020 Euros

Belgium are in Group B along with Finland, Russia and Denmark, a manageable opening round that should see the Red Devils advance to the knockout stage. At that point, anything can happen in a tournament with a history of underdog success.

But Belgium, who opens the group this Saturday against Russia in St. Petersburg, can’t really say they’re underdogs. They are among the favorites and the urgency for the country’s golden generation to finally capture a trophy is a reality.

“The players knew they were carrying the hopes and expectations of millions [at the 2018 World Cup], and that’s not easy,” Martinez said of the team in an interview with FIFA.com this past February. “The golden generation tag could have been very difficult for these players to carry, as we’ve seen in other countries. But they provided a great example of how to deal with that pressure while continuing to express themselves and enjoy their football.”

That status, however, can be crippling. Martinez, in the same interview, said “you become a golden generation through your achievements, not because of people’s perception of your status.”

“It doesn’t mean we’ll win the Euro or the next World Cup [in 2022]; in tournament football there are so many small details that affect who wins and who doesn’t,” he added. “But it means we’ll be as good as we can be, unburdened by expectations, and ready to go there to compete together, as players, staff and fans.”

The golden generation tag is often one given to teams by journalists more for what they can potentially accomplish rather than what they’ve actually been able to do on the field. By its very nature, it is a moniker that denotes promise, not an achievement. Belgium hopes that its stars, which include goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois, midfielder Kevin De Bruyne, and strikers Romelu Lukaku, Dries Mertens and Eden Hazard, can finally win it all.

De Bruyne, still recovering from the injury suffered last month in the Champions League final with Manchester City, will be part of Martinez’s expanded 26-man roster that UEFA allowed because of COVID-19. Whether he will play or even be a productive member of midfield remains to be seen.

Overall, this is a team with depth and one that features one of the tournament’s best offenses. Hazard and Lukaku, the national team’s all-time greatest scorer, make a great duo up front and one that will cause headaches for opposing defenses. Martinez has been one of the most successful managers at the international level in recent years thanks to a roster that’s been able to come through for him.

Belgium’s past isn’t much of a measure of any potential future success. After losing in 1980 final, Belgium qualified again in 1984 but was knocked out in the group stage. After finishing fourth at the 1986 World Cup in Mexico, Belgium became a mediocre soccer nation once again despite clubs like Anderlecht being able to succeed at high levels.

After missing three straight European Championships, Belgium returned to co-host the Euros in 2000 with the Netherlands. After failing to progress to the knockout round, Belgium proceeded to miss three consecutive tournaments again. Five years ago, at the last Euros, Belgium reached the quarterfinals, where they were knocked out by Cinderella side Wales.

The past is just that. This is a team that’s looking towards the future with confidence and determination. Whether this golden generation can come through remains to be seen. The potential is there, but plans don’t always work out in sports.

Belgium, in that way, is a favorite who needs to play like an underdog. It’s a mission this team can certainly accomplish. Whether they ultimately will is the big question.