Belgium’s best departed after a quarter-final loss to Spain in Los Angeles, and the familiar funeral talk for the country’s so-called golden generation started again. The Red Devils’ recent high point was probably back in 2018, when peak De Bruyne, Lukaku and Courtois were joined by Alderweireld, Vermaelen, Kompany, Vertonghen, Fellaini, Hazard, Carrasco, Mertens and Dembélé. For a team built around star names and the usual national mythology, the ending came with a missed handover and a goalkeeper injured in the middle of the job.
The Handover Goes Wrong
The symbolism was hard to miss. A tearful Courtois headed off with an injury in the second half at SoFi Stadium, and his replacement Senne Lammens fluffing his lines handed Mikel Merino Spain’s winner on a plate. The old guard left in pieces. The next man up blinked, and Spain took the gift. That’s football, sure. It’s also the kind of clean little collapse that turns a generation into a cautionary tale by full-time.
Courtois tried to soften the blow for his teammate. He said: “I gave him a big hug. He’s a great goalkeeper. You only get stronger from this.” He added: “Eventually you cannot say much more to him or give him much more advice. He is a strong guy, strong personality. I’m sure he’ll be fine. You know, he will have some holidays and then regroup in Manchester and have a great season.” The language was generous, almost managerial. The result was not.
Belgium were further hamstrung by the loss of their captain, Youri Tielemans, to knack in the warm-up. One injury in the match, another before it even began. The margins were thin, and they were all against Belgium. Reports suggested Courtois fancies an unhelpful year off from the international game before returning for the Euro 2028 qualifiers. The national project, such as it is, now waits around for its stars to decide when they can be bothered again.
Spain Moves On, Belgium Recounts the Past
Spain, meanwhile, can look forward to a semi-final meeting with France. Luis de la Fuente said: “They’ll be just as worried as we are.” That’s the language of elite sport: everyone anxious, everyone calculating, everyone pretending the machine is under control while the next fixture looms.
The article also noted the Bayeux Tapestry being unloaded at the British Museum in the dead of night. A relic moved under cover of darkness. Another institution doing what institutions do best: shifting symbols around while ordinary people are left to watch the ceremony and guess at the meaning. The football story and the museum story sit oddly together, but not that oddly. Both are about prestige, ownership, and the careful staging of national memory.
Old Glory, New Fractures
Belgium’s “golden generation” label has always carried more weight than the football itself can bear. It promises continuity, greatness, a clean line from one era to the next. Instead, the quarter-final in Los Angeles delivered the usual reminder that these things end in injuries, missed chances, and a replacement goalkeeper under pressure. The names remain famous. The generation does not stay golden forever.
Courtois, Lukaku, De Bruyne and the rest once formed the spine of a side that looked capable of more. Now the story is about what’s left after the peak, who’s injured, who’s gone, and who’s expected to carry the badge next. The answer, for the moment, is a team heading home while Spain keeps moving.