'What old timers can do' - the evolution of Belgium's golden generation
Belgium's national football team has reached the World Cup quarter-finals, defying expectations after a poor start and the departure of several 'golden generation' stars. The team is now relying on a mix of veteran leadership and younger talent under manager Rudi Garcia.
Why it matters
The story illustrates the cyclical nature of sports talent and the impact of leadership transitions on team performance in high-stakes international tournaments.
Image source, Getty Images Image caption, Thibaut Courtois and Romelu Lukaku both played in the 2014 World Cup for Belgium and had key roles in their last-16 victory over the USA this time around
When the World Cup began 30 days ago, few believed Belgium - shorn of so many of the star names who featured in their previous campaigns on this stage - were among the potential winners.
Even fewer would have believed it when they were 2-0 down with 85 minutes played against Senegal in the last 32.
But now the Red Devils are in the quarter-finals, having delivered one of the all-time great World Cup comebacks to vanquish the Senegalese, before following it up with one of the most impressive performances of the tournament so far in beating the USA 4-1 on their home turf.
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