The Rise and Fall Of European Golden Generations: England, Belgium, and Spain

"As wars come and go, my soldier stays eternal"

                                                                  – Tupac Shakur

That might apply to many life situations, where tough people outlive tough times, but not football. Because in the hallowed sport, the soldiers tend to fade with the times, leaving nothing but memories for the fans. 

But that's the beauty of the sport. The transition is always a constant reminder to live in the present and enjoy how much it has to offer. Away from the Ballon d'Or winner buzz and FIFA's The Best Nominees, the potential in the English National Team's midfield has surfaced in recent football news. Some will go as far as to term the young starlets "the golden generation" and "the future of football" in praise of their current performances and their potential deliverables.

A golden generation in any sport refers to a team of talented players, often in the same age range, whose efforts and achievements have surpassed any efforts in the history of that team. This writer believes Jude Bellingham, Phil Foden, and Declan Rice all have stellar futures ahead of them, considering their attributes and consistency. But before we jump to conclusions about the "future of football", let's consider the previous European Golden generations and how they turned out. It's been a mix of football legends, and there are some pretty big shoes for the Englishmen to fill. 

And let's take a moment to mark the absence of certain erstwhile praised starlets who seem to have fallen out of the subject matter, namely Mason Mount, Reece James, and Ben Chilwell.

Belgium

The Rise

We had an excellent crop of Belgian players gain prominence in the early 2010s, each of them racking individual and club honors, celebrating their prowess and consistency. On this list, we had the mercurial Eden Hazard, an injury-prone but golden Kevin DeBruyne, a clinical Romelu Lukaku–at least before he fell off–and a sturdy presence in goal in the form of Thibaut Courtois.

 

Source: Twitter/X

They reached the top of the FIFA rankings for the first time in 2015, and justified their class with a third-place finish in the 2018 FIFA World Cup, with Hazard and Courtois receiving individual honors at the tournament.

The Fall

Apparently, age caught up with these folks before they could accomplish much more. One could say they peaked at the 2018 World Cup, as their outing in Qatar resulted in a group-stage exit. While they had little more than FIFA rankings to justify their prowess, they will still be considered legends in the sport.

Spain

The Rise

Spain enjoyed continental and worldwide dominance between 2008 and 2012, winning two Euros on either side of the 2010 FIFA World Cup. The Spanish nationals involved were notable starters for Barcelona–Xavi Hernandez, Andres Iniesta, David Villa, Sergio Busquets–and Real Madrid, namely Iker Casillas, Xabi Alonso, and Sergio Ramos, with a sprinkling of internationals from other leagues. 

The Fall

Age is a prominent factor in football, as most player categories decline as they age. What's more important is slowly and constantly replacing the waning stars with bright starlets, without entirely compromising the squad depth and quality. Spain's dominance was cut short since they couldn't replenish their squad to achieve the storied harmony and connection they once boasted. This was evident in their group stage exit in the 2014 FIFA World Cup, following a 5-1 trouncing from the Netherlands.

There's little doubt in the talent and potential embedded in the present English squad. As a matter of fact, the English squad has been consistent in featuring a star-studded team, at least since Steven Gerrard, Frank Lampard, Paul Scholes, and Wayne Rooney's days. But the media hype, coupled with complacency and absence of squad harmony has prevented the England National team from attaining notable success, despite having a brilliant forward set-up.

Will Bellingham, Foden, and Rice become the answers to the Three Lions' trophy wait? We can't say. But even with the large shoes to fill, the future's looking bright for England.

Written by: Segun Itakorode