Belgium’s 2026 World Cup exit closes book on its golden generation
What’s next: Belgium has 13 squad members age 25 or younger, pointing to a rebuild after the quarterfinal loss to Spain in Los Angeles.
Belgium’s quarterfinal loss to Spain at the 2026 World Cup is being cast as the end of the team’s long-running “golden generation,” a core that peaked with a third-place finish in 2018. The latest blow came in Los Angeles, where Belgium went out after substitute goalkeeper Senne Lammens made the error that led to Mikel Merino’s winner, following an injury to Thibaut Courtois during the match. Belgium also lost captain Youri Tielemans in the warm-up. The squad still included veterans such as Romelu Lukaku and Kevin De Bruyne, but a younger group is emerging, with 13 players aged 25 or under and Charles de Ketelaere among those offering signs of the next cycle.