TEAMS THAT thrive in international football tournaments are not always the most talented. To lift a cup, countries must marry talent with the ability to cope with the weight of expectation from fans. For teams thought to contain a “golden generation” of gifted players that pressure can become intolerable. Think of Belgium.
For a decade, Belgians had to live with the golden-generation tag. Blessed with an exceptional group of players who came of age at around the same time, they were rated in 2015 as the best national side in the world, even though the country has a population of fewer than 12m. They held that ranking intermittently until 2021. Their stars, including Eden Hazard, Vincent Kompany, Kevin de Bruyne (pictured), Romelu Lukaku and Thibault Courtois, were supported by teammates who played for elite clubs from across Europe’s leagues.