The Belgian side that beat Algeria 2-1 in their opening group stage game of the 2014 World Cup read like an all-star fantasy team of players in their prime.
Courtois, De Bruyne, Witsel and Lukaku all started, as did Eden Hazard, Mousa Dembele and Vincent Kompany, with Dries Mertens and Marouane Fellaini coming off the bench.
Belgium topped their group in their first World Cup since 2002 and reached the quarter-finals, before going one better and reaching the final four in 2018 and winning the third-place play-off.
The same group of players reached the quarter-finals of both Euro 2016 and 2020, before crashing out of the group stages of the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.
Critics say such a talented group should have achieved more, but for a nation of less than 12 million people, was international success ever a realistic aim?
“To be a golden generation you have to win some gold and then you can be called that,” said Spanish football journalist Guillem Balague.
“It’s put the expectations very high in Belgium and it’s interesting that people look back at that group of players because with Lukaku, De Bruyne, Tielemans, Trossard they have actually had a good run.
“They were third in the last World Cup and that seems to have been forgotten with Roberto Martinez as their manager. I’m not sure how much more you could ask for.
“In the context of other teams like an England side that had the golden age, with an Italy that have had such experience and managed to get a wonderful Euros, with Spain on the up as well, to demand Belgium to win is a maybe a little bit too much.”
Along with those celebrated names, Leandro Trossard (31), Brandon Mechele (33), Timothy Castagne (33), Hans Vanaken (33), and Thomas Meunier (34) have likely played their last World Cup minutes.
“I’m disappointed for those that maybe might not come back with the national team,” manager Rudi Garcia said after the match.
“I took a team that I wanted to take as far as possible. My veteran players, who are maybe on their way out, that they could have one last hurrah.
“It is a shame because I think everyone deserves to go far in this World Cup.”
