Lammens’ error spells end for Belgium’s golden generationFigure caption, Merino pounces on Lammens’ mistake to score late winner for SpainByAlex BrothertonBBC Sport journalistPublished41 minutes agoFairytale goodbyes are a rarity in football.Belgium’s 2-1 defeat by Spain in the quarter-finals of the 2026 World Cup likely marked the final bow of the four remaining members of the Red Devils’ golden generation.
Thibaut Courtois, Romelu Lukaku, Kevin de Bruyne and Axel Witsel have been mainstays of the national team since the 2014 World Cup in Brazil, but their final chance of winning football’s biggest prize ended with a mistake from one of their successors.
The injured Courtois, replaced midway through the second half, could only watch as 24-year-old Senne Lammens spilled an 88th-minute shot and Mikel Merino tucked home the rebound.
“Lammens doesn’t cover himself in any glory. He didn’t make a mistake for Man United last year but this is another pressure,” reported Stephen Warnock on BBC Radio 5 Live.
The next generation’s time will come, but it felt a sad way for the old guard to depart.
