The inevitable fall of the Red Devils
Watching Senne Lammens fumble that ball against Spain was not just a goalkeeper error. It was the closing credits on a project that promised so much and delivered almost nothing. Belgium's exit from the World Cup marks the final curtain for their golden generation, a group that spent a decade as everyone's favorite dark horse and nobody's actual champion.
The mechanics of their failure are structural rather than accidental. While other federations pivoted toward the collaborative models highlighted in recent reports on Norway’s coaching overhaul, Belgium stayed locked in a loop of individual reliance. They built a talent assembly line but failed to build a culture of collective defensive insurance.
Tactical stagnation vs. the Norwegian model
Look at how Norway is operating compared to the wreckage in Brussels. The Norwegians are leveraging significant gambling revenue to fund better infrastructure, specifically artificial turf fields that allow for year-round development. They prioritized a flat hierarchy where ego is secondary to systemic consistency.
Belgium took the exact opposite path. They produced world-class attacking talent by the bucketload but never developed the tactical discipline to protect a lead in a high-stakes tournament environment. Lammens is getting the heat today, but the reality is that a stable, well-coached unit doesn't collapse simply because of one individual lapse at the 88th minute.
The post-mortem prediction
Where does Belgium go from here? They are entering a protracted, painful transition period that will likely last until the next cycle. Expect a fire sale on their remaining veteran leadership as the federation attempts to balance the books and lower the average age of the squad.
My prediction is simple: Belgium won't make a major tournament semi-final for at least six years. Their youth development pipeline has slowed, and the prestige of their national kit has plummeted. They are currently priced at 12/1 to qualify and make a deep run in the 2028 competition, which is absolute madness for a team that lacks a coherent tactical identity.
Don't be fooled by the big names remaining on the roster. Football is no longer decided by a handful of star players operating as freelancers. The teams that win now are the ones that prioritize functional, high-repetition patterns over moments of individual brilliance. Belgium forgot that lesson, and now they are paying the price.
