Belgium were written off before the World Cup began, and almost nobody gave them a chance when they fell 2-0 behind Senegal with just five minutes remaining in the last 32.
Yet Rudi Garcia’s side have transformed their tournament with one of the greatest comebacks in World Cup history, rallying from that deficit to defeat Senegal before dismantling the United States 4-1 on home soil.
The Red Devils now face Spain on Friday at 20:00 BST with a semi-final place on the line, having rebuilt their campaign around a blend of experienced survivors and hungry younger players.
While Eden Hazard, Mousa Dembele, Marouane Fellaini and Vincent Kompany are long gone, a core featuring Thibaut Courtois, Romelu Lukaku, Kevin De Bruyne and Axel Witsel continues to provide leadership and quality at crucial moments.
Courtois, playing in his fourth World Cup, framed the shift clearly before the USA victory, insisting Belgium have entered a new era with younger players eager to write history for their country.
“I think this is a new era for us,” the Real Madrid goalkeeper said, acknowledging that Qatar 2022 had been a painful experience the squad was determined to move beyond.
Garcia has bristled at any suggestion that relying on experienced players is a weakness, delivering a memorable defence of his leadership group earlier in the tournament.
“I really can’t stand it when my four leaders are called ‘veterans’,” Garcia said. “It is ugly. It is awful. If you are lucky enough as a country to have players of this calibre, then encourage them. This is what Belgium’s ‘old-timers’ can do.”
The statistics tell an interesting story about how that core group is actually being deployed throughout the tournament, with their roles subtly but significantly changing.
Courtois has played every minute, while 37-year-old Witsel featured for a single minute against the USA and Lukaku has played fewer than 50 percent of available minutes despite contributing three vital goals.
De Bruyne, now 35, suffered an injury during the Senegal match, and Belgium have won twice and scored seven goals in approximately 130 minutes of football since his departure from those games.
Much of the creative burden has been shouldered by Arsenal’s Leandro Trossard, who has created more chances than any other player at the tournament, totalling 17, while also contributing two goals and two assists.
Atalanta forward Charles De Ketelaere has scored twice and registered one assist, with his pressing and movement creating space that has allowed wide attackers to operate inside the penalty area far more effectively.
Club Brugge’s Hans Vanaken, 33 and a player who has never left Belgium domestically, has still contributed a goal and two assists, underlining how Garcia has found quality contributions throughout his squad.
Captain Youri Tielemans scored both the equaliser and the winner in the famous comeback against Senegal, epitomising the collective spirit Garcia has cultivated within his group.
Beyond tactics, Belgium’s dressing room is held together partly through language, with English serving as a neutral common tongue among players whose heritage spans DR Congo, Ghana, Senegal, Portugal, France and beyond.
Dr. Jim Ureel, senior lecturer in applied linguistics at the University of Antwerp, explained that choosing English sidesteps the politically sensitive tension between Belgium’s Dutch and French-speaking communities.
“Language is a very sensitive topic in Belgium — it’s heavily linked to identity and politics,” Dr. Ureel said. “English therefore becomes very useful — you can avoid those issues and it all becomes neutral.”
Lukaku, who speaks six languages fluently, has long been characterised as the most vocal leader within the group, while Garcia credits the maturity of the squad as a whole for Belgium’s revival.
“The group is very mature. We have leaders to help us,” Garcia said following the USA victory, a comment that captured the atmosphere inside a squad increasingly pulling in one direction.
This Belgian generation is no longer chasing a dream they narrowly missed — they are seasoned professionals taking on a mentoring role, guiding younger team-mates who will soon become their successors.
