Dignitaries from all over the world will gather in Brazil in early December for the FIFA World Cup draw as the field of teams is divided into groups for next summer’s festivities. As part of its “32 teams in 32 days” series, SPORTSNET.CA will profile each of the nations set to compete at Brazil, leading up to the draw on Dec. 6.
To give you a better perspective into Belgium’s fall from grace and international drought from major tournaments, all you have to do is look at the average age of the Red Devils’ current roster (26). The new golden generation was barely in their teens—mere schoolboys—when the country last qualified for the World Cup in 2002. It was their sixth successive appearance on the world stage, with their best showing being a fourth-place finish at Mexico ’86. Only 36 year-old midfielder Timmy Simons—second on all-time cap list with 93 appearances—remains from the 2002 team. On the opposite spectrum, Belgium’s lead striker Romelu Lukaku was an over-sized eight year-old watching the tournament on television in Antwerp. Belgium’s long-awaited and much anticipated return to the big show was built off tireless development and the emergence of a new breed of players. Belgium are the consensus dark horse pick given their performances in qualifying, heaping a little pressure onto a team filled with youngsters. Expectations are high, but depending on the draw, progression past the group stage is a sensible target.
Programming alert: Watch the World Cup draw from Brazil on Dec. 6 live on all four main Sportsnet channels. Coverage begins at 10:30 am ET/7:30 am PT | TV schedule
How they got here: Calm seas with the wind catching their sails and guiding them smoothly into port. Belgium crushed their opponents in Group A—unbeaten in 10 matches with eight wins—and were never really threatened to be knocked off their perch at the top of the table. They finished nine points superior to runners-up Croatia, almost averaging two goals-per-game (18) and conceding only four, tied for the best defensive record in European qualifying.
Key result: Only an unlikely catastrophic collapse was going to keep Belgium from the promise land, which is why their second-to-last fixture in Zagreb that confirmed qualification was so special. Lukaku’s first-half brace sealed the 2-1 victory, sending the Belgians into euphoric celebrations under heavy rainfall at Croatia’s Maksimir Stadium. It was a joy to watch—the players danced and embraced like little children after the final whistle—and reinforced just how massive the achievement was to this once proud football nation.
Star player: Similar to his importance for Manchester City, it’s equally as critical for Vincent Kompany to be leading the back line for Belgium. His presence and influence on the field is irreplaceable. Say what you want about the value of scoring goals, it’s even more significant to keep them out of your own net, especially in a tournament format. Remember, it’s a sprint not a marathon. Belgium possesses a collection of quality players that could easily be selected in this category. However, without Kompany marshalling his troops from the centre of defence, the entire structure is compromised and you run the risk of the foundation caving in on itself.
Player on the bubble: It speaks volumes to his quality that winger Dries Mertens was Rafa Benitez’s first signing as Napoli manager—$13 million from PSV—and to date has proven his worth. But it might be a little premature for Mertens to start packing his bags in anticipation of being selected on the final roster headed to Brazil. There is simply too much competition in his position, and Mertens is further down the pecking order of manager Marc Wilmots’ pool of players. Somewhat of a late bloomer given his age, having scored 43 goals in 68 appearances for PSV over two seasons, Mertens must build off a good start to life in Southern Italy.
Team strengths: Youthful exuberance. This group is united and playing their best football, and virtually every player is first-choice at their respective clubs. Go down the list, every one of them play at some of the biggest clubs in Europe, which makes the argument of lacking experience of no consequence, or for that matter being able to handle the pressure of a major international tournament. Despite their young age, these players are well beyond the date on their birth certificates.
Team weaknesses: Being confident in your abilities is one thing, but complacency begins to take shape when you start buying into all the hype. They might be experienced beyond their years from a footballing stand-point, though let’s not forget the power and influence of outside forces. The key to success this summer revolves around keeping their heads down and staying focused.
World Cup record
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1930 to 1938—First round
1950—Withdrew
1954—First round
1958 to 1966—Did not qualify
1970—First round
1974 to 1978—Did not qualify
1982—Second round
1986—Semifinals (fourth place)
1990 to 1994—Second round
1998—First round
2002—Second round
2006 to 2010— Did not qualify
Team profiles: Algeria | Argentina | Australia | Belgium | Bosnia and Herzegovina | Cameroon | Chile | Costa Rica | Colombia | Croatia | Ecuador | England| Germany | Ghana | Greece | Honduras | Iran | Italy | Ivory Coast | Japan | Mexico | The Netherlands | Nigeria | Portugal | Russia | South Korea | Spain | Switzerland | United States | Uruguay