Belgium will have a wonderful World Cup but may not win it

In the 2014 Fifa World Cup, Belgium presents to the world a great squad of players who have played at top level. After failing to qualify for the last two World Cup finals, Belgium seems to be making an emphatic announcement with the pedigree of the players in their squad heading to Brazil.

The quality in the squad is breathtaking. Their maturity acknowledgeable! Their dedication captivating! The threat they pose is in itself terrifying. This is a new generation Belgium.

It seems Coach Marc Wilmots took his time to carefully study the players at his disposal since he took over in 2012 as the head coach and is looking to show the whole world that his team cannot be wished away. And indeed by naming such a formidable squad, he’s already sent shockwaves to the rest of the competing nations that Belgium are not merely coming to the World Cup as spectators but as a force to reckon with.

In the Belgian team is a galaxy of stars ranging from Eden Hazard, Romelu Lukaku, Vincent Kompany, Thomas Vermaelen, Marouane Fellaini, Daniel Van Buyten and Moussa Dembele to the rising stars of Manchester United’s Adnan Januzaj and Lille’s Divock Origi Okoth.

To juice up their tournament, the Belgians are in a reasonably easy Group H against Algeria, South Korea and Russia. Probably their biggest threat could come from Russia, which presents to the World Cup a complete squad of home-based players. But this is a big tournament that needs big players, and who else has those players apart from the Belgians? There’s no doubt Belgium will have a great outing in Brazil.

However, the availability of many players of World Cup pedigree to Belgium may be the end of the good news! There’s no straight guarantee they may win the World Cup. Well, they may win it but not this year, not this World Cup.

Winning a World Cup requires much more than just big names in one’s squad. The plethora of talented players in the Belgian squad may well be their undoing, as Coach Mat Wilmots will have a fielding headache tormenting him through the tourney.

Given their long absence from the big show, Belgium may suffer from inexperience at this level. Despite boasting of top goalkeepers like Simon Mignolet and Thibaut Courtois, stage fright knows no man. It attacks the most susceptible of candidates.

Assuming they top their Group H, they get to meet the runners up Group G which could either be Germany, Ghana or Portugal in that order and that may just be their waterloo!

For the records Belgium possess an adorable side. They are wowing to watch. No dispute they’ll play great football. But I honestly don’t see them winning the World Cup. Better luck next time!