FLASHBACK The Red Devils, on July 14, 2018, washed away their bitter elimination in the semi-finals against France by securing bronze at the World Cup in Russia—their best finish ever. At that time, the Belgian national team had a strong connection with Anderlecht. Dries Mertens, Romelu Lukaku, Youri Tielemans, Leander Dendoncker, Vincent Kompany, Michy Batshuayi, and Adnan Januzaj all have a purple-and-white past.
Later on, Nacer Chadli and Jan Vertonghen would also join Anderlecht.
The Red Devils easily made it through the group stage. In the final group match, they won 1-0 against England, which meant they topped the group but ended up on the tougher side of the knockout bracket. In the next round, Japan fell after a thrilling finale. Belgium was down 2-0 but turned the result around in the final moments to win 3-2. Then came Brazil. Belgium played an excellent first half and took a 2-0 lead. The Brazilians fought back to 2-1, but thanks in part to Courtois, the Red Devils held on to their lead. In the semi-final, France awaited—once again a tough opponent. The match remained balanced for a long time until the French scored in the second half. Belgium still had chances to get back into the game but couldn't find the net. This resulted in a place in the consolation final, which they won comfortably against England.
Belgium was probably the best-playing team at the 2018 World Cup and truly missed a unique opportunity to become world champions with their golden generation at the peak of their powers.
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In a flashback article, we look back in time at an important event for the club or a former player.
