It’s awfully cliched, but Belgium are boasting a Golden Generation of superstars at present. The likes of Mousa Dembele, Marouane Fellaini, Romelu Lukaku, Christian Benteke and Eden Hazard, to name five, all ply their trade in the Premier League at present and with the quintet all the right side of 30, their futures ahead of the remain bright.
There have even been those that believe Belgium will prove to be a major threat at the upcoming World Cup in Brazil, should they qualify of course. However, regardless of the quality of personnel available to manager Marc Wilmots, the fact is they won’t come close to securing glory in South America next summer.
Firstly, the climate in Brazil will be of nothing that the players will be expecting when the tournament begins next year. Granted, they’re likely to undergo a conditioning period to acclimatise to the southern hemispheric heat, but even then it’s unlikely they’ll have adjusted to the rigours in time for the big kick off.
Furthermore, the lack of experience running through the squad is evident. Daniel van Buyten, at 35, is one of the more calmer heads in the squad, yet it’s unlikely that he’ll be part of the travelling part next summer. Either way, while qualification is certainly on the cards, chances are Belgium will succeed at Euro 2016 or the 2018 World Cup when tournament football is being played back on European soil.