Belgium’s Golden Generation Says Goodbye After Injury-Ravaged Quarter-Final
Belgium’s fabled golden generation has almost certainly played its final World Cup match together, knocked out 2-1 by Spain in a quarter-final that was as much a story of attrition as football, according to a report by The Guardian.
The Belgians arrived at the last eight already short-handed. Amadou Onana had torn his anterior cruciate ligament in the last-16 win over the USA and watched the game on crutches. Defender Zeno Debast was left out after a disagreement between the Belgian camp and his club Sporting over his fitness. Then, just before kick-off, Youri Tielemans was scratched from the teamsheet after picking up an injury in the warm-up.
Despite the chaos, Belgium were competitive. Jérémy Doku looked sharper than at any point in the group stage, causing problems for Pedro Porro down Spain’s right flank. His industry, however, left spaces, and Fabián Ruiz punished Belgium to give Spain the lead.
Belgium refused to fold. Charles De Ketelaere, who had scored twice against the USA in the previous round, pulled the sides level just before half-time. Kevin De Bruyne threaded a pass to Timothy Castagne, whose cross found De Ketelaere diving at the near post to head home — a fine finish and Belgium’s first shot on target.
The second half, though, became a tale of mounting misfortune. Thibaut Courtois, one of the finest goalkeepers of his era, made a crucial falling save before the second-half water break but immediately began struggling with his left hip. He tried to continue before eventually being substituted in the 71st minute, leaving the pitch in tears as supporters from both sides rose to applaud him. Backup Senne Lammens came on in his place.
De Bruyne also faded physically, taking himself off after an 80th-minute lob before picking up a yellow card. Manager Rudi Garcia used his final substitution to remove the veteran before Spain could exploit his deteriorating mobility.
Lammens was ultimately unable to hold firm. A speculative effort from Pau Cubarsí squirmed through the substitute goalkeeper’s hands, and Mikel Merino reacted first to fire the loose ball home — sending Spain into their first World Cup semi-final since 2010.
For Belgium, the broader picture is bittersweet. This squad, which has carried the weight of enormous expectation for well over a decade, showed more fight here than in recent tournament exits. Romelu Lukaku, Axel Witsel, De Bruyne and Courtois all featured in the final stages, reprising their roles from the 2014 World Cup squad one last time.
For those following the tournament closely, you can keep up with everything on our World Cup 2026 hub and check the latest live standings as Spain prepare for the semi-finals.