Today, we learn more about Belgium's finest eleven players of all time, which includes players from both of their golden generations.
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Russia was not the only nation in Europe to qualify for the 2018 FIFA World Cup before Belgium. For the first time, Belgium might be regarded as one of the favourites due to their attack-oriented performance and team comprised of some of Europe’s most intriguing stars. Following Portugal’s victory at Euro 2016, Belgium is still the only significant team in Western Europe without a major football championship. They’ve gone close on a few occasions, placing third in the 1972 Euro, second in the 1980 Euro, and reaching the semifinals of the 1986 FIFA World Cup. The first golden generation of Belgian stars, the majority of whom worked in their native country, were responsible for this brief period of prosperity.
With some of the best players on the planet, Belgium was one of the tournament’s standout teams. However, unlike at any moment during the miserable Marc Wilmots period, Belgium looked as if they could cause quite a stir on the international stage. Their free-flowing football couldn’t quite see them conquer the globe. Therefore, it should come as no surprise that players like Eden Hazard, Kevin De Bruyne, and Romelu Lukaku are regarded as some of the best to ever represent their nation.
But who will make an all-time playing XI of their greatest-ever players? it’s tough question to answer, given the number of legendary players that have played over the years. Today, we learn more about Belgium’s finest eleven players of all time, which includes players from both of their golden generations.
During the late 1970s and early 1980s, Jean Marie Pfaff was regarded as one of the top goalkeepers in the world. Pfaff was a club legend for K.S.K Beveren and Bayern Munich and was a member of Belgium’s first golden generation. He competed for Belgium in a number of international competitions, including Euro 1980 and the FIFA World Cup 1986, where the Red Devils placed second and third, respectively. Along with a plethora of other individual honours, Pfaff was the first recipient of the IFFHS World’s Best Goalkeeper title in 1987. By the end of his career, Thibaut Courtois may very likely surpass Pfaff as Belgium’s all-time best goalkeeper, but Pfaff is now comfortably superior to him.
Unquestionably, the greatest Belgian defender of all time is Eric Gerets. Gerets was a natural leader on the field with to his endurance, mental tenacity, and aggressive style. He had a fruitful career with Standard Liege before leading PSV Eindhoven to its lone European Cup triumph in 1988. He is the ideal captain for our team because he has captained his country at three straight FIFA World Cups, including a fourth-place finish at FIFA World Cup 1986. Younger supporters might question why Toby Alderweireld or Thomas Meunier didn’t make the team, but Eric Gerets was great in the 1970s and 1980s, earning 86 caps.
An attacking center-back best exemplifies Belgium’s attack-minded attitude, which was previously described, as nothing else does. Philippe Albert, a defender famed for his offensive runs into the halves of opponents, was affectionately known by his teammates as “The Entertainer.” Three-time Belgian League champion Albert first came to public attention at the 1994 FIFA World Cup for his exploits with the national team. He also won one Belgian Golden Shoe award. He was acquired by Newcastle United the same year. Albert soon won over Newcastle’s fans by enthralling everyone with his offensive flair. His daring chip over Peter Schmeichel from 25 yards is still spoken about today.
Due to his physical domination and superb defensive abilities, Vincent Kompany—one of the best centre backs in recent memory—was an obvious candidate for this position. As a young man, Kompany won the Belgian Golden Shoe and assisted Anderlecht in winning two Belgian Pro League championships. In the 2011–12 season, he guided Manchester City to their first Premier League championship at the height of his career. The pillar of Belgium’s new golden generation, Kompany has led by example.
Jan Vertonghen, who plays mostly as a centre back, has repeatedly shown that he is capable of playing on the left side of the field. Vertonghen’s left footed play was also praised by legendary Johan Cruyff. Within a year of graduating from Ajax’s renowned youth system, he had solidified his place on the team as a crucial player. Vertonghen earned two Eredivisie championships, two KNVB Cups, and the Dutch Footballer of the Year honour in 2012. He had an immediate effect at his new team, Tottenham Hotspur, and in his first season, he was named to the Premier League PFA Team of the Year. Vertonghen was a strong defender, but he also had the capacity to score at critical moments, including one for Belgium at the 2014 FIFA World Cup.
Wilfried Van Moer, sometimes known as “The Little General,” is at the centre of the side. Van Moer was a courageous midfielder who worked tirelessly from box to box for his team. He was incredibly successful at the club level, winning three Belgian league championships with Standard Liege. After suffering a terrible injury while competing for Belgium against Italy in 1972, which kicked off a seven-year hiatus from the national team, his career appeared to take a downward turn. But when Belgium had trouble making it to the 1980 European Championship, he was asked to come back. Belgium not only made it to the Euros, but they also won. The tournament’s finest player from Belgium, 35-year-old Van Moer, finished fourth in the 1980 Ballon d’Or. At just 5 feet 6 inches tall, his ball skills were excellent, and over the course of an accomplished career, he won 57 caps and three Belgian championships with Standard Liege.
Enzo Scifo will serve as this side’s brain if Van Moer serves as its heart. He was Belgium’s Michael Platini thanks to his originality, acumen, and skill. During his distinguished career, Scifo won championships with Anderlecht, Torino, and AS Monaco. He competed for Belgium in the 1986 World Cup and was named FIFA World Cup Best Young Player after the competition. Scifo will field a deep-lying playmaker in our team due to his capacity to control the game from the centre of the pitch.
De Bruyne is a talismanic figure for club and country, having won 4 premier titles with City and 97 caps at the age of 31 for Belgium. He is arguably the best passer the league has ever seen. When Genk won the Belgian Pro League in 2010–11, De Bruyne was a regular player there when his career began. He signed on with English club Chelsea in 2012, where he saw limited action before being loaned out to Werder Bremen. He spent the 2014–15 DFB-Pokal season with Wolfsburg after signing a £18 million contract there, where he made a name for himself as one of the finest players in the Bundesliga. De Bruyne joined Manchester City in the summer of 2015 for a club-record £54 million. Since then, he has helped the team win an FA Cup, five League Cups, and four Premier League championships. He played a vital part in 2017–18 as Manchester City became the only Premier League club to reach 100 points.
Five times, the IFFHS Men’s World Team, four times, the UEFA Team of the Year, three times, the ESM Team of the Year, the France Football World XI, and once in the Bundesliga Team of the Year have all been among De Bruyne’s honours. He has also been named to the UEFA Champions League Squad of the Season five times. In addition, he has won the UEFA Champions League Midfielder of the Season, the Bundesliga Player of the Year, the Footballer of the Year (Germany), the Belgian Sportsman of the Year, and the IFFHS World’s Best Playmaker twice. He has also won the Premier League Playmaker of the Season twice, the PFA Players’ Player of the Year twice, Manchester City’s Player of the Year four times, and the PFA Players’ Player of the Year twice.
Jef Jurion was well-known as the football player who wore glasses while playing years before Edgar Davids tried the style. Jurion enjoyed playing in wide positions to avoid being overly physical because of his thin build. Jurion wasn’t the fastest, but his ball control and dribbling abilities made him a difficult opponent to handle. He and attacker Mermans at Anderlecht forged a strong relationship that helped him win eight Belgian league championships during his playing career. Jurion became well-known all over the world after helping Anderlecht defeat Real Madrid in the 1962 European Cup with a goal against their star-studded team. He also has the distinction of being the first player from Belgium to receive a Ballon d’Or nomination.
Now let’s move on to the player who has the chance to surpass the best Belgian footballer in history. Unquestionably, the greatest Belgian footballer ever is Eden Hazard. His ingenuity, speed, and dribbling prowess have turned him into a deadly weapon that can wreck havoc on the defence of the opposition. Hazard joined Chelsea after making early strides in Lille, where he became a household name. After a 12-year hiatus, Hazard had a significant role in Belgium’s national team’s qualification for the 2014 FIFA World Cup, where they lost in the quarterfinals. In Euro 2016, they again advanced to the quarterfinals. Belgians haven’t taken home a major international trophy since the 1920 Olympics. However, Eden Hazard and his team have a special chance now that Belgium’s new golden age is on the rise.
The 29-year-old, who made his international debut at the age of 16 in 2010, has a spectacular goal scoring record wherever he has played and has the potential to smash every national team record with Belgium. Lukaku has 104 caps already and has scored an amazing 68 goals during that time. The active striker, who left Chelsea, is having a prolific season at Inter Milan at loan. As the most expensive player overall, the most expensive player from Belgium, and the most expensive player in terms of total transfer costs, Lukaku returned to Chelsea in 2021 for a club record £97.5 million (€115 million). Lukaku, the all-time leading scorer for Belgium, made his senior international debut in 2010. He has played for his nation at five major competitions: the 2014, 2018, and 2022 FIFA World Cups, the 2016 and 2020 UEFA European Championships, and the 2016 and 2020 UEFA European Championships. In 2018, he tied for second place in goals scored, earning the Bronze Boot.
After defeating Greece 2-1, Martinez’s Belgians were the first European team to qualify for the 2018 FIFA World Cup. His squad won every group match throughout the group stage, and in the round of 16, they overcame a two-goal deficit to defeat Japan 3-2. Belgium defeated Brazil 2-1 in the quarterfinals to advance to a matchup with France, which they ultimately lost 1-0. In the third-place play-off, Belgium defeated England 2-0 to earn their best-ever World Cup finish.
Without having won a single championship in many years, Martnez led Belgium to the top of the FIFA World Rankings in September 2018 and held that position through February 2021. [70] He became the only manager to achieve so at both the 2018 World Cup and that tournament after winning his group at Euro 2020. He also established a record for the most victories for Belgium in a single managerial tenure (46 from 49, compared to 45 in 114 for Guy Thys; Thys won four more in a second spell). He was unable to lead Belgium to the championship, though, as they were eliminated after a shocking 1-2 loss to Italy in the quarterfinals.
Despite this result in the competition, he continued to lead Belgium as their coach until the 2022 FIFA World Cup was over. After defeating Belarus in the 2022 World Cup qualification round, he surpassed all other Belgian national team coaches in terms of victories. On September 20, 2021, he accomplished a new feat once more as Belgium celebrated three consecutive years atop the FIFA rankings.
