Despite being dubbed the "golden generation" of Belgian football, they have not reaped the rewards they were promised. Their World Cup campaign in Qatar was a disaster, as they were eliminated in the group stages. They will now face Croatia in a vital match on Thursday. This could be the end of the era for a generation of players that has given so much to the game.

It's not just Lukaku that has come up short. Belgium have been in the top four teams in the FIFA world rankings for most of the four years between the last World Cup in Russia and this tournament in Qatar. But they haven't won a trophy. And they aren't likely to do so again.

The Belgian "Golden Generation" has been able to produce incredible chemistry in previous tournaments, but they have yet to win gold. They failed to score a single goal in the tournament, and they were knocked out early in the first round. They will be forced to rebuild and re-form to qualify for the 2022 World Cup. Several of the players in Roberto Martinez's side are too old for the next World Cup, and they lack adequate young replacements.

But that's not to say Belgium is a poor team. They have some talented youngsters coming through the ranks. Julian Witsel was almost a certainty for the Euro 2016 squad, and Kevin De Bruyne is another player in the side who has the ability to trouble anyone. But the Belgian players are likely to leave without a trophy.

Belgium's golden generation has already failed to win a trophy at two major tournaments, and their World Cup exit may be the end of their era. They have a group of players in their 30s who aren't likely to repeat their success. In addition to Lukaku, Belgium have had the best players in the world over the past decade, but they haven't been able to bring any silverware.

It's not the end of the road for Belgium, though. Roberto Martinez's facet are talented enough to trouble any team in the world. They were able to take the 3rd placed team from the last World Cup to the round of 16 in Qatar, but they couldn't find a win in this tournament. Their tame first half cost them a place in the group, and they need to win in their final group game to qualify for the knockout stages. They are likely to face Spain, who will be crowned Group E winners, in the last 16.

However, Roberto Martinez's facet will need to win this tournament if they are to qualify for the 2022 World Cup. They've been number one in the FIFA world rankings for most of the tournament. They will need to show what they could have done against Croatia to secure the title.

Lukaku was able to score off the bench, but his best chances came in the final ten minutes of the game. He missed a chance to score a hat-trick, and his header sailed over the bar. He also had a close-range shot blocked by Josip Juranovic. His second chance came after he was sent through by De Bruyne. However, he couldn't finish the rebound, and the ball sailed into the goalkeeper's hands. The Belgian player was doubled up in tears after the game.

Source : yalla shoot