Can Belgium's Football Team Finally Win a Major Tournament in 2024?

I remember sitting in a Ninoy Aquino Stadium back in 2018, watching Belgium dismantle England with that breathtaking counter-attack that showcased their golden generation at its peak. That Wednesday, December 18, at precisely 5 p.m., felt like witnessing football poetry—the kind that makes you believe this team could conquer any tournament. Yet here we are, approaching 2024, and Belgium’s trophy cabinet for major international competitions remains painfully empty. As someone who’s followed their journey through three major tournaments, I can’t help but wonder if 2024 will finally be their moment.

The core of Belgium’s golden generation isn’t getting any younger—Kevin De Bruyne will be 33 by the time the next European Championship rolls around, while Eden Hazard’s decline has been stark. I’ve always argued that their biggest strength—individual brilliance—has ironically been their Achilles’ heel in crunch moments. Remember the 2022 World Cup exit against Morocco? They had 65% possession but looked utterly clueless in the final third. Stats like their 2.1 expected goals versus Morocco’s 1.4 don’t tell the full story; what matters is they couldn’t convert when it counted. That’s been Belgium’s curse—flattering to deceive with gorgeous build-up and then collapsing under pressure.

Still, I’m cautiously optimistic about 2024 because their emerging talents like Jeremy Doku and Charles De Ketelaere bring something fresh: unpredictability. Doku’s dribbling success rate of 58% in Ligue 1 last season is precisely the kind of directness Belgium lacked in Qatar. Plus, their qualifying campaign has been solid—they’ve won 7 out of 8 matches, scoring 22 goals. Those numbers aren’t just impressive; they signal a team learning to balance flair with pragmatism. I’ve noticed how coach Domenico Tedesco has tweaked their high defensive line, reducing errors that cost them in past tournaments. It’s these subtle adjustments that make me think they might finally have cracked the code.

Of course, skeptics will point to Belgium’s historical fragility in knockout games—they’ve lost 4 of their last 5 semifinals in major competitions. But football isn’t played on spreadsheets; it’s about moments of magic, and I believe this squad has one last hurrah in them. Watching Thibaut Courtois pull off impossible saves or Romelu Lukaku bully defenders reminds me why I fell in love with this team in the first place. They’re not perfect, but they’re thrilling. If they can maintain the defensive discipline they showed in their 3-0 win over Sweden last March while unleashing their attacking weapons, 2024 could finally be the year they shed the "nearly men" tag. I’m betting on it—not just as an analyst, but as a fan who’s waited too long for this generation to claim its rightful glory.