Belgium hold a prominent place in world soccer history. Although they have yet to lift the World Cup trophy, they have starred in memorable campaigns and, especially over the last decade, solidified their status as one of the great international powerhouses thanks to their so-called “golden generation.”
Featuring stars like Kevin De Bruyne, Eden Hazard, Thibaut Courtois, and Romelu Lukaku, the “Red Devils” reached the pinnacle of their history and spent several years near the top of the FIFA rankings. Their best performance came at Russia 2018, where they secured third place, the highest finish in their history. The team led by Roberto Martinez finished first in its group with a perfect record after defeating Panama, Tunisia, and England.
They then pulled off one of the most memorable comebacks in World Cup history by defeating Japan 3-2 after falling two goals behind, eliminated Brazil in the quarterfinals with a brilliant collective performance, and only fell 1-0 to France, who would go on to win the tournament. In the third-place match, they defeated England once again, 2-0, to cap off a historic campaign.
Belgium’s history in the World Cup
Throughout their history, they have experienced various eras of prominence. After several decades of inconsistent results, they managed to qualify for six consecutive World Cups between Spain 1982 and Korea-Japan 2002. They missed out on Germany 2006 and South Africa 2010 before returning with a vengeance, starting at Brazil 2014.
Kevin De Bruyne #7 of Belgium.
Following their great performance in Russia 2018—until then, the crowning achievement of Belgian soccer was Mexico 1986, when they reached the semifinals for the first time. That squad led by Guy Thys, featuring icons like Jean-Marie Pfaff, Eric Gerets, Jan Ceulemans, and Enzo Scifo, eliminated the Soviet Union 4-3 after extra time in an unforgettable match, and then knocked out Spain on penalties.
In the semifinals, they crossed paths with Diego Maradona’s Argentina, who won 2-0, while Belgium ultimately finished fourth after losing to France in the third-place playoff. In 1990, 1994, and 2002, they reached the Round of 16. At Brazil 2014, with the generational transition firmly established, they won all three of their group stage matches, eliminated the United States in extra time, and were knocked out in the quarterfinals after falling by a single goal against Argentina.
Belgium’s worst campaigns
Not every campaign was a success. In their earliest appearances—1930, 1934, and 1938—they were quickly eliminated, while at France 1998, they exited in the group stage after drawing all three of their matches.
The biggest recent disappointment arrived at Qatar 2022, when a national team that still featured a large portion of its “golden generation” failed to clear the opening round. After a narrow victory over Canada, they lost to Morocco and drew with Croatia—a result that signaled the end of an era helmed by Roberto Martinez and stars like Hazard, De Bruyne, Courtois, and Lukaku.
