Give your opinions. GERMANY TERSTEGEN BAKU RUDIGER SULE GOSENS KIMMICH GORETZKA GNABRY HAVERTZ SANÉ WERNER NEUER KLOSTERMANN KEHRER GINTER MAX GUNDOGAN KROOS MUSIALA MULLER DRAXLER VOLLAND --------------------------------------------- BRAZIL ALISSON DANILO MILITAO MARQUINOS LODI ARTHUR CASEMIRO COUTINHO LMOURA GJESUS NEYMAR EDDERSON EMERSSON FELIPE DCARLOS ALEXSANDRO GERSON FABINHO PAQUETÁ NERES FIRMINHO VINICIUS --------------------------------------------- ITALY DONNARUMMA FLORENZI BASTONI BONUCCI EMERSON VERRATTI JORGINHO BARELLA CHIESA INMOBILE INSIGNE MERET CALABRIA MANCINI ROMAGNOLI BIRAGHI LOCATELLI TONALI PELLEGRINI BERNASDESCHI KEAN ZANIOLO --------------------------------------------- ARGENTINA MARTINEZ MOLINA ROMERO OTAMENDI TAGLIAFICO DEPAUL PAREDES LOCELSO MESSI LAUTARO DIMARIA RULLI FOYTH LMARTINEZ PEZELLA ACUÑA PALACIOS GRODRIGUEZ LAMELA ACORREA ICARDI NGONZALEZ --------------------------------------------- FRANCE MAIGNAN PAVARD VARANE UPAMECANO MENDY RABIOT KANTÉ POGBA GRIEZMANN MBAPPE COMAN MESLIER MUKIELE KIMPEMBE KOUNDÉ LHERNANDEZ CAMAVINGA NDOMBELE LEMAR NKUNKU DEMBELE MARTIAL --------------------------------------------- ENGLAND PICKFORD ARNOLD MAGUIRE STONES SHAW PHILLIPS RICE SANCHO FODEN STERLING KANE HENDERSON RJAMES MINGS GOMEZ CHILWELL BELLINGHAM WINKS MOUNT ALI GREALISH RASHFORD --------------------------------------------- SPAIN DEGEA CARVAJAL LAPORTE TORRES GAYA THIAGO RODRI PEDRI FERRAN MORATA SAUL KEPA BELLERIN HERMOSO IÑIGO ANGELIÑO LLORENTE KOKE OLMO ASENSIO MORENO FATI --------------------------------------------- NETHERLANDS CILLESEN DUMFRIES DELIGT VANDIJK BLIND WIJNALDUM DEJONG DEBEEK BERGHUIS DEPAY MALEN BIJLOW HATEBOER DEVRIJ AKÉ WIJNDAL GRAVENBERCH DEROON KLAASEN STENGS WEGHORST BERGWIJN --------------------------------------------- OTHER NATIONAL TEAMS BELGIUM COURTOIS MEUNIER ALDERWEIRELD VERTONGHEN THAZARD TIELEMANS WITSEL HAZARD DEBRUYNE DOKU LUKAKU PORTUGAL LOPES CANCELO RDIAS PEPE GUERREIRO RSANCHEZ NEVES BFERNANDES BSILVA CRISTIANO JFELIX DENMARK SCHMEICHEL MAEHLE CHRISTENSEN KJAER PEDERSEN DELANEY HOJBJERG OLSEN ERIKSEN DAMSGAARD POULSEN COLOMBIA ARBOLEDA CUADRADO DSANCHEZ MINA YMORENO JAMES BARRIOS URIBE LDIAZ MURIEL ZAPATA URUGUAY MUSLERA NANDEZ GIMENEZ ARAUJO OLAZA DEARRASCAETA BETANCOURT VECINO VALVERDE CAVANI SUAREZ
It's definitely not Belgium. Right now, we have three world class players if they are healthy: Courtois, KDB and Lukaku. Hazard used to be a fourth but he is done at the very top of the game. Then we have a promising youngster in Doku. Then we have a lot of decent professionals like Witsel, Thorgan Hazard, Carrasco, ... Guys who can definitely help a good team but who aren't generational talents. And our defense is now old and/or mediocre.
Tbf, having 3 world class players and a bunch of good players put you quite high up. That's more than most countries can manage at the moment. I think the bigger worry might be the pipeline. No doubt, this has been a sort of 'Golden Generation' for Belgium, but I don't yet see the replacements of the same level coming through in the next 4-5 years yet. Things change very quickly of course as unknown 18 year olds can be on the verge of world-class by the time they're 23.
Well it's not sure if another attacking generation of the Lukaku/KDB/Hazard quality is coming through any time soon (would arguably be hard for any country let alone a small country like Belgium) but we at least have some promising youngsters in that department, like Doku, Vertessen, De Ketelaere. In defense, we don't have any real young prospects other than Zinho Vanheusden...
For Belgium sake, I think I'd settle for slightly less talent but more balanced defensive options. I mean, what were you going to do with all of Kompany, Vermaelen, Vertonghen, and Alderweireld anyway!
I like the look of Portugal. They have a lot of guys entering their prime and some younger guys who have potential to get better. Cristiano Ronaldo Bruno Fernandes Ruben Dias Diogo Jota Joao Cancelo Bernardo Silva Ruben Neves Joao Felix Nuno Mendes Pedro Goncalves Renato Sanches And a few more. They could probably do with a long-term partner for Ruben Dias and I'm not sure of their goalkeeping area but they are covered everywhere else. Not sure their current coach is the man to unlock this potential either though.