We’re a week away from the World Cup, and it’s the biggest ever edition of the most prestigious competition on the planet, with 48 nations battling for the trophy a month from now at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey.
Group G has one country that believed it would be vying for a trophy of its own these past few cycles, but hasn’t reached its full potential.
In what could be their last major tournament with its “golden generation,” can Belgium make an earnest run towards MetLife this July?
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Kevin De Bruyne and Mohamed Salah, both 33, are two of the best players of their generation.
For a decade, the two battled for the Premier League championship, with the Belgian talisman piloting Manchester City while the Egyptian winger ignited Liverpool to greatness.
Now, as they both approach the end of their careers, the two meet at the World Cup, both still strong enough to lead their countries into the knockout rounds and beyond.
With Salah leaving Liverpool this summer and De Bruyne at Napoli, this might not be Ronaldo vs. Messi, but it’s a duel of two legends of an era on the grandest stage possible.
Alongside De Bruyne, Lukaku has been another face of the Belgian “golden generation” that was supposed to contend for several trophies. While Lukaku scored four goals in 2018 to help Belgium reach the semifinals and eventually win the bronze medal over England, Belgium still hasn’t lived up to the lofty expectations placed on them 12 years ago in Brazil.
Lukaku only played 50 or so minutes with Napoli this campaign due to injuries, and there is a strong possibility he will be on the bench to begin this World Cup.
But let’s be clear: Where Belgium goes, so does Lukaku, and no matter his form, health, or reputation for missing in the biggest moments, he simply finds the back of the net for his home country.
Lukaku has 90 goals for Belgium in 125 appearances, and be assured that if he gets his chance on the field for what could very well be his last dance for Belgium, he will add more to that total.
Even if Belgium is more copper than gold nowadays with their roster, they still have by far the best team in the group alongside Salah’s Egypt, Iran, and New Zealand.
Really, it’s a story of who will finish second and third in this group after the Red Devils, with Egypt the best bet for second and New Zealand possibly having a shot at taking out an Iran team practicing in Mexico but playing all its games in the United States.
Belgium, you couldn’t have asked for a more straightforward opening group. If they want to take advantage of having one of the best midfielders in the world one last time at near the peak of his powers, this is it.
- Belgium
- Egypt
- Iran
- New Zealand
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