"Not being tipped as favourites will allow more freedom, composure": Hazard on Belgium's WC chances, downplays 'golden generation' tag
Brussels, June 8
Former Belgium footballer Eden Hazard dismissed the men's national side's long-talked-about "golden generation" tag since they ended a 12-year absence from the tournament in 2014 as "journalist speak", saying that the the trophy is a hard one to win and the team is really proud of their third-place finish in the 2018 edition.
From 2014 to 2022, Belgium played some of their best football as a side, with a line-up featuring successful and well-accomplished club-level icons like Hazard, Kevin De Bruyne, Romelu Lukaku, and Vincent Kompany, Thibaut Courtois making up a 'golden generation' of Belgium stars which achieved a quarterfinal finish in the 2014 edition, a bronze in the 2018 position, before a group stage exit in the 2022 edition in Qatar. Before this, the fourth-place finish in the 1986 WC at Mexico was Netherlands' best finish.
Now, in the 2026 edition, some of the biggest names of this generation, such as De Bruyne, Courtois, Lukaku, Dembele etc are still around, with exciting talents like Jeremy Doku and Charles De Ketelaere.
Speaking on the team's 'golden generation' tag, saying as quoted by FIFA's official website, "That is journalist-speak", commented the 35-year-old. "'Golden generation', 'silver generation' - you could call it whatever you want. We knew that we had a great group of players performing for top clubs who were winning trophies every year, and we were all a similar age and maturing at the same time. The World Cup is a tough trophy to win. Yes, we could have won one! We had a great run. The squad and the country are extremely proud of what we did in 2018," he added.
Hazard, now having retired from the sport, will be following the sport as a fan and backs teams like France, Spain, England and Portugal to lift the title and Willian Pacho's Ecuador to "pull off a surprise run". He is also keeping a close eye on his successors in the Belgium jersey, Charles De Ketelaere and Jeremy Doku and teammates De Bruyne and Lukaku, as they face Egypt, Iran and New Zealand in Group G, starting their campaign from June 15 onwards in Seattle.
"There's no doubt that Belgium are the best side in that group," said the former Chelsea star. "But that first game (against Egypt) is never easy. The squad is a mix of the old guard and a new generation who are starting to come through. The fact that they are not being tipped as favourites will allow them to play with more freedom and composure. Expectations in Belgium are high, of course, but less so than in 2018 and 2022," he added.
Rudi Garcia, who handed Hazard his professional debut at Lille in 2008, is now the national side coach. Hazard has backed him, saying that even though he has not coached a national team before, it is not a problem.
"He has enough experience for the job, and he will know how to handle it. He is a coach who speaks his mind and he is a really great person. I think that's exactly what we need," he added.
FIFA World Cup 2026 - Belgium's full squadGoalkeepers: Thibaut Courtois (Real Madrid), Senne Lammens (Manchester United), Mike Penders (Strasbourg)
Defenders: Timothy Castagne (Fulham), Zeno Debast (Sporting CP), Maxim De Cuyper (Brighton), Koni De Winter (AC Milan), Brandon Mechele (Club Brugge), Thomas Meunier (Lille), Nathan Ngoy (Lille), Joaquin Seys (Club Brugge), Arthur Theate (Eintracht Frankfurt)
Midfielders: Kevin De Bruyne (Napoli), Amadou Onana (Aston Villa), Nicolas Raskin (Rangers), Youri Tielemans (Aston Villa), Hans Vanaken (Club Brugge), Axel Witsel (Girona)
Forwards: Charles De Ketelaere (Atalanta), Jeremy Doku (Manchester City), Matias Fernandez Pardo (Lille), Romelu Lukaku (Napoli), Dodi Lukebakio (Benfica), Diego Moreira (Strasbourg), Alexis Saelemaekers (AC Milan), Leandro Trossard (Arsenal).
— ANI
Reader Comments
Interesting take from Hazard. I agree that when you're not the favourite, you can play with more freedom. But let's be real - with De Bruyne and Lukaku still around, plus all these young talents, Belgium will still be expected to go far. Their group with Egypt, Iran and New Zealand should be straightforward. The real test comes in the knockout stages.
I've been following Belgium since their 2014 run. The way they went from quarterfinals to bronze to group stage exit shows how unpredictable WC is. Hazard is right - it's a tough trophy. But dismissing the 'golden generation' tag feels a bit humble. That 2018 team had world beaters in every position. India's cricket team faces similar expectations every WC! 🏏
One thing I find interesting is how Hazard backs Rudi Garcia. The personal connection from Lille days matters in football management. But I'm not fully convinced about a coach with no national team experience handling this transition phase for Belgium. The 'old guard' and new talents need careful handling. Let's see if Garcia can replicate his Lille magic at international level.
As a neutral Asian football fan, I'm saying Belgium should be careful against Iran and Egypt. These teams have that 'underdog spirit' Hazard talks about. Iran's defensive discipline and Egypt's counter-attacking can trouble any team. Hope Belgium doesn't underestimate them. But yes, their squad depth is incredible - even their B team would challenge most groups! 🇧🇪
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