Belgium qualified for the World Cup for the third time in a row and the fourteenth time overall by winning 6 of their 8 matches and finishing atop Group E. Their finest performance to date was four years ago when they reached the semifinals before being eliminated by eventual champion France.

They finished in third place after beating England in Saint Petersburg. They were eliminated in the quarterfinals the year before, again at the hands of the eventual winners.

With many members of their "Golden Generation" now in their mid-to-late thirties, hope abounds that this is finally their time to win a major prize. Eight of Belgium's top 10 all-time most-capped players are still playing for the national team today.