Thanks to a 2-1 win over Croatia, Belgium have clinched qualification to the World Cup in Brazil next summer. This is the first time Belgium have qualified to a major international tournament since the 2002 European Championships. However, this generation has given high hopes to a lot of Belgians all over the world. Never before has the Belgian squad been so rich with talent in all positions so one has got to expect this squad to go far in the World Cup.
Two goalkeepers with equal merits
Thibault Courtois and Simon Mignolet are definitely the kind of keepers who will automatically be number ones for any national team in the world.
The latter more so largely due to the fact that he has done ever so well in making Liverpool fans forget Pep Reina who had been such a fan favourite for a long time before he was loaned out to Napoli. Courtois on the other hand, is deservingly considered one of the best young keepers in the world and has made major strides with Atlético Madrid a club he is on loan for the third successive season.
Defenders aplenty
Although they are more known for the attacking brand of football they have displayed, Belgium boast one of the strongest defence in Europe. Vincent Kompany is by far one of the best defenders in England at the moment while Jan Vertonghen is a centre-back by trade by can also operate equally effectively as a left beck.
Thomas Vermalaen might not have shown his true ability at Arsenal but hand him the jersey of his national team and the former Ajax man will make you redoubt your earlier assessment of him. Despite being on the wrong side of 30s, Daniel Van Buyten is always a safe head when the team needs an experienced head at the heart of the defence. The former Barcelona man has held his own excellently among the younger players and his experience will count a lot in Brazil next year.
Despite a difficult start with Atletico Madrid this season, Toby Alderweireld is a right back that gives Marc Wilmots’s side another option in the offense.
Rich in midfield
Steven Defour and Axel Witsel have formed one of the most solid pairing of central midfielders in the continent and this pairing is the reason why Moussa Dembele has started games for the national side mostly from the bench. And if one of these three is not up for it, Wilmots has the option of using 36-year-old Timmy Simmons who is excellent at slowing things down when the goings get tough.
Down the flanks, Eden Hazard and Kevin De Bruyne cause defenders no end of pain. Similarly, the bench boasting the likes of Nacer Chadli, Kevin Mirallas and Dries Mertens means that Wilmots gets all the right headaches whenever a match day approaches.
Powerful strikers
Romelu Lukaku and Christian Benteke are two of the best strikers in the Premier League with the former making Jose Mourinho regret farming him out to Everton this season. The youngster has scored more goals than all of his parent club’s strikers combined while Benteke has started the new season as strongly as the last one which was his first in England. Unfortunately though, it is unlikely to see both powerhouses start games together as Wilmots’ 4-2-3-1 system does not need to change.
Lack of experience the only worry
Belgium have one of the most talented squads in international football at the moment. However, if there is something that could be their undoing would be the fact that the team has a lot to prove in major international tournaments. Apart from Van Buyten and Simmons, no player has ever played in a major international tournament which means that the two men will have to take the lead if the youngsters around them are to make the journey to South America a memorable one.
