When fortune abandons heroes, they are left helpless—Belgium's "Golden Generation" bows out in disappointment.

Written by Han Bing. This World Cup has been hailed as the "farewell of the gods" in world football, bidding goodbye to icons such as Cristiano Ronaldo, Neymar, Modrić, Neuer, and Salah. For Belgium's "Red Devils," however, it marks the closure of a "Golden Era." French manager Rudi Garcia managed to blend a rejuvenating Belgian side into a formidable force. Yet, fate seemed unwilling to prolong the twilight of Belgium's "Golden Generation," as a series of injuries and unexpected setbacks forced them into a poignant and helpless collective exit—reminiscent of the verse: "When time favors, all forces align; when fortune leaves, even heroes fail."

Witsel at 37, De Bruyne at 35, Meunier at 34, Lukaku at 33, Trossard at 31, and Courtois at 34—though he hoped to continue for another two years, he is essentially unlikely to play in the next World Cup. Having reached the quarterfinals three times in the last four World Cups and finishing third in 2018, this "Golden Generation" ultimately fell short of the heights their talent promised. We are saying goodbye to four of Belgium's top seven all-time appearance-makers (Witsel, Lukaku, De Bruyne, and Courtois), and to the top two scorers in Belgian history: Lukaku and De Bruyne.

Injuries have always been the decisive factor preventing Belgium's "Golden Generation" from reaching their peak. Eden Hazard and Vertonghen, for instance, were plagued by injuries and left the national team early. At this tournament, Belgium was again haunted by injury woes: In the round of 16 against hosts USA, midfielder Onana suffered a serious injury just 19 minutes in. In the quarterfinal, captain Tielemans pulled an adductor muscle during warm-ups and was replaced by Vanaken. In the second half, goalkeeper Courtois was injured and substituted, followed by an exhausted De Bruyne. By then, Belgium had become a spent force, and two minutes later, a fumble by substitute goalkeeper Lammens sealed the end of the "Golden Generation's" World Cup journey.

After the match, Belgium coach Rudi Garcia expressed both disappointment and helplessness: "It was hard to imagine before the match that we could go toe-to-toe with Spain. But injuries hit us hard. Tielemans' absence weakened our midfield, Courtois' injury was a turning point, and then De Bruyne couldn't continue... It felt like bad luck was against us." Garcia deeply regretted that the "Golden Generation" ended this way: "The match shouldn't have ended like this, but that's football. We could have taken Spain to extra time, but with our captain, goalkeeper, and De Bruyne all unable to play due to injuries, our original tactics and substitution plans were completely disrupted."

After the game, De Bruyne admitted he had given his all: "But I'm 35 now and had a major surgery. I know everyone expected me to turn things around, but it's truly regrettable." The 37-year-old Witsel has announced his retirement from the national team. While De Bruyne and Courtois are still considering their futures, at least the World Cup chapter for Belgium's "Golden Generation" has definitively closed. Courtois wants to keep going, but the coach did not dare risk keeping him on the field. The Real Madrid goalkeeper knows well that his chances of playing in the centenary World Cup four years from now are slim.

The farewell of the "Golden Generation" at the World Cup is emotional: Lukaku embraced his brother Jordan in the stands, both crying. They had recently lost their father, Roger, who was their first football mentor—a man who sadly never witnessed this farewell. De Bruyne was also deeply sorrowful, trying to calm his emotions alongside his wife Michèle and their three children. The 33-year-old Vanaken consoled himself with his wife and daughter, bidding farewell to his last World Cup. Disappointed, Courtois indicated after the match that he would skip the upcoming Nations League group stage to take a break. If either Rudi Garcia or the Belgian FA disagreed, he would retire from the national team.

Rudi Garcia's own future is also a topic of media attention, but he chose to sidestep the question. The French coach has unearthed several young and mid-career players for Belgium—Ngoy, De Kepper, Onana, De Ketelaere, Raskin, Doku, among others—who have already become key figures and can shoulder the future of Belgian football. Yet Garcia himself does not know if he still has a future or if he can continue driving Belgium's renewal and compete in the World Cup four years from now.

For Belgian football, a "Golden Era" came to a definitive end with Lammens' error. The future of Belgian football, aside from the collective exit of the "Golden Generation," remains uncertain—only time will provide the answers.