Belgium goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois has defended his country’s much-heralded “Golden Generation” after their World Cup campaign ended with a 2-1 quarter-final defeat to Spain.
Courtois was substituted through injury in the second half at SoFi Stadium before Belgium conceded the decisive goal following an error by replacement goalkeeper Senne Lammens.
The defeat is expected to mark the final World Cup appearances for several senior players, including Kevin De Bruyne and Romelu Lukaku.
Belgium’s talented generation, which also featured Eden Hazard, Vincent Kompany and Marouane Fellaini, reached the summit of the FIFA world rankings for prolonged periods but failed to win a major international trophy, with third place at the 2018 World Cup their best achievement.
Speaking after the defeat, Courtois insisted the team should be remembered with pride rather than criticism.
“In the major tournaments we have almost always performed well,” he said.
“We are proud of everything we achieved. People say the Golden Generation never won anything, but we are Belgium, not England, Spain or France.
“We are a small country with fewer than 12 million people, yet we consistently competed with the biggest nations.”
Courtois noted that Belgium were often eliminated by eventual champions, including at the 2018 World Cup and UEFA Euro 2021.
The Real Madrid goalkeeper also expressed confidence that Belgium would remain competitive, citing the country’s strong youth development system.
“There is plenty of young talent coming through,” he said.
“I believe this team will continue to grow, and we can come back stronger for the next European Championship and the next World Cup.”
