From the remarkable story before a ball had been kicked (Julen Lopetegui being sacked as coach by Spain for surreptitiously negotiating with Real Madrid) to the final controversy itself (the extremely harsh, I would say disgraceful decision to award France a penalty), World Cup 2018 provided drama from start to finish.
Whatever World Cup 2018 highlights grabbed your attention—and there were plenty—SBOBET followers will surely all agree on one collective aspect.
The perfectly balanced dribbling of Eden Hazard, the quality and imagination of Kevin de Bruyne’s passing, the sheer power and pace of Romelu Lukaku, the menace of Thomas Meunier, the commanding figure of Toby Alderweireld, the calmness of Jan Vertonghen, and the athleticism of Thibaut Courtois.
That’s seven players (I could have named a few more in the Belgium class of 2018). The country’s so-called ‘golden generation’ who, hopefully, aren’t finished yet.
World Cup 2018 odds suggested they may well reach the semi-finals but, in many ways, they achieved even more.
After a slow start, they eased past minnows Panama and Tunisia, had too much quality for England, came from two goals down to beat Japan in a breathtaking comeback and then produced arguably the most impressive team showing over the month-long festival of football to defeat mighty Brazil.
They were unceasingly compelling, undoubtedly classy.
For me, the image of Lukaku falling to his knees and raising his hands skyward at the full-time whistle after that victory was the photograph of the tournament.
That they were unfortunate to go out to France in the semi-final will remain a personal disappointment for manager Roberto Martinez, his French assistant Thierry Henry, and their legions of fans.
Yet, they bounced back with too much class for England for the second time and their quality was proven as the final individual accolades were announced.
Courtois deservedly won the Golden Glove as the best keeper in the tournament and surely, alongside David de Gea and Manuel Neuer, is now one of the top three in the world.
And then there was his teammate for both club and country, Hazard.
Voted runner-up to Luka Modric, though he probably should have won the Golden Ball as the tournament’s top player for his influence and mesmeric dribbling skills.
Certainly, Belgium’s collective efforts were recognised back home as they were greeted by tens of thousands of fans at the picturesque Grand Place in Brussels.
All 23 members of Martinez’s squad were in attendance as they were personally congratulated by King Philippe and Queen Mathilde.
The pictures told their own stories as supporters climbed street signs, traffic lights—literally anything they could get a grip of—to catch a glimpse of their heroes as an open-top bus parade made its way through the Belgian capital.
The sheer joy amongst players and fans alike showed a country united as they concluded their best ever World Cup.
Now Euro 2020 looks an ideal step for a side in their prime to perhaps go further, with or without Henry who, after giving up his television commitments, has hinted he wants to take the step from number two to manager.
Of course, seven of this 23-man squad are in their 30s and by the time of the next World Cup, optimism may have to be tempered by the fact Kompany will be 35, Vertonghen 34, and Hazard and De Bruyne in their 30s. However, they will still have Lukaku, Courtois and Yannick Carrasco who should all be in their prime by then.
Then there are the players who only featured sporadically at this tournament.
Youri Tielemans only featured for 97 minutes throughout the tournament, the majority of them in the party meaningless group encounter with England, but has been described by Martinez as someone who represents the future of Belgium. Meanwhile, the likes of defender Zinho Vanheusden and Francesco Antonucci are tipped for big things.
After six wins from seven, the Diables Rouges should be upbeat after their first ever podium finish and a generation that finally did live up to the hype—the individuals who had sizzled at club level finally achieved heights on the international stage.
Midfielder Axel Witsel went further by saying Belgium were the ‘most attractive team to watch at the tournament’ and it was hard to argue.
This was a very good tournament for Belgium, but can the next one be great or was this the pinnacle?
That is the key question.
Is this the end of an era or the start of a new one?
One interesting statistic to ponder:
seven of the past nine nations to have finished third at a World Cup have failed to qualify for the next European Championships.
Surely, Belgium won’t follow that path, right?
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