The rise of the Belgian national football team

The biggest football spectacle on the planet – the 2014 FIFA World Cup – is just about a year away and the World Cup qualifiers around the world will end by November. By then, we will know which 30 other teams will join hosts Brazil and Asian champions Japan to battle over the greatest prize in football, the Jules Rimet Trophy, and earn the right to be called World Champions for at least the next 4 years. Usual suspects like Spain, Germany, Italy, Argentina, Netherlands, England etc. are all expected to be in Brazil. Other major teams and continental giants, barring any upsets, are expected to follow suit, along with the usual dark horses and minnows. Based on the performance and form of their favorite teams, fans have already started making predictions for next year’s summer extravaganza.

Teams like Spain, Germany, Netherlands, Brazil, Argentina, Italy etc. remain bookmakers’ favorites to win the coveted trophy. However, far from all this, there is one team that is currently on a golden run of form and attracting a lot of attention and admiration from the fans and experts alike. Having last played a major tournament at the World Cup in Korea-Japan 2002, this football team, representing a tiny European nation, has experienced so much resurgence in recent times that it is now being considered as the strongest “outsider” to have a strong showing at the event and make it to at least the semifinals, if not beyond. Rightly regarded as the “golden generation”, this group of exceptionally talented players plies their trade throughout different European leagues. The team I am talking about is nicknamed the Red Devils (no, not Manchester United), is currently ranked 12^th in the world (higher than even 5-times world champions Brazil, who languish at an all-time low of 22) and is called the Belgium National Football Team.

Considering their record in international competitions, the Belgians haven’t really done too bad? After all, qualifying for the World Cup 11 out of 19 times and being on the verge of the 12^th one can be considered satisfactory for a nation that is not even a perennial footballing powerhouse. I mean, we in India want to see our team qualify for a World Cup finals, which in itself will be the biggest possible achievement for us; never mind how the team actually ends up performing. However, on the other hand, we have the Belgians, who have not only qualified quite consistently for the finals, but have also finished 4^th once (Mexico 1986), along with going past the group stage on 5 occasions (including the 4^th place finish). They may have qualified for the European Championships only 4 out of 13 times, but that includes achieving 3^rd place as hosts in 1972 and finishing as runners-up at the championships hosted by Italy in 1980. Their Olympic record boasts of a bronze medal (1900), gold medal (1920) and a 4^th place finish (2008) in 5 appearances. Quite an impressive record, by our standards; but not theirs.

During their previous golden age, the Belgians established themselves as a well organized team and were considered difficult to play against. This golden period included a 2^nd place finish at the 1980 European Championships in Italy, where the team lost to West Germany in the final. They also qualified for 6 consecutive World Cup finals, from 1982-2002, which included a 4^th place finish in 1986 in Mexico. The likes of Jan Ceulemans, Eric Gerets, Jean-Marie Pfaff, Enzo Scifo etc. formed the backbone of this side. They kept on performing consistently and had some good results during the 80s, 90s and early 2000s. However, Belgium’s stock plummeted as they sunk to an all-time low ranking of 71 in June 2007. This was mainly due to a string of poor results and failure in qualifying for international tournaments like the 2006 and 2010 World Cup finals, a first round exit from the European Championships as co-hosts in 2000 and non-qualification for the next 3 editions of the same. Things worsened to such an extent that before the current World Cup qualifiers, the Belgian Football Association had to invite legends like Ceulemans and Scifo to urge the fans to believe in their team, a program for which they had to shell out 600,000 euros.

However, thanks to the emergence of some young talented players, many of whom were nurtured by clubs like Ajax Amsterdam, Racing Genk and OSC Lille etc., the Belgians have experienced a change in fortunes. Many of these players have now become first team regulars and play for big European clubs, especially those in the lucrative English Premier League. As a matter of fact, a Belgian playing XI can be made entirely from the players playing in the Premier League. The who’s who of Belgian football ply their trade in the Premier League and that list includes Eden Hazard (Chelsea), Romelu Lukaku (Chelsea), Jan Vertonghen (Tottenham), Moussa Dembele (Tottenham), Christian Benteke (Aston Villa), Mauroune Felliani, Kevin Mirallas (Everton), Thomas Vermaelen (Arsenal), Simon Mignolet (Arsenal) and Vincent Kompany (Manchester City). This is not even counting players playing in other European leagues. However, much of this success can be attributed to Georges Leekens, who took over as coach after poor performance under his predecessors. The progress made under him between 2010-12 has been carried forward by Marc Wilmots. The team has almost qualified for the 2014 World Cup and have been in scintillating form in the qualifiers, having amassed 19 out of 21 points so far in their European qualification group. They stand undefeated and on top of their group.

With so many quality players at their disposal, one would expect the Belgians to make it to at least the quarterfinals or possibly semifinals. It is also quite possible that the team may flatter to deceive, and that would be considered a huge failure. However one should realize that the World Cup is contested by the 32 best national teams. It is not a tournament where one can expect to make some mistakes here and there and still survive. A team that is crowned champions of the world is able to do so not on solely their luck but because of their ability to raise their game at the right time. A good example is Spain who became the first team to win a World Cup after losing their first game. Also, at times a strong team may under-perform, because of too much expectations, just like India and Pakistan did at the 2007 Cricket World Cup. Playing in an international event is not only about skills on the field, but also mental toughness. Losing a match that a team is expected to win and the subsequent post-mortem of its performance is demoralizing for any team. How it rises from that point and shuts up all its critics depends on its mental strength. As far as Belgium goes, with their team being so young, they will definitely excel on the field but will need few experienced heads to guide them all along. Moreover, people should not expect too much from them, since this project is not meant for immediate but long term success.

All said and done, the Belgians are definitely strong enough to be considered potential quarterfinalists or semifinalists. For me, they are already into the quarterfinals, but may run into a bigger team at this stage, resulting in their elimination. However, the thought of them going all the way is too far-fetched. Brazil 2014 – not quite there, Russia 2018 – why not?

So everyone, keep an eye on these guys. They may not yet be there, but will be, very soon.