Did Roberto Martinez really 'waste' Belgium's golden generation?

Roberto Martinez is facing a series of criticism from experts and fans. After Portugal struggled against the Congolese team in the opening match of the 2026 World Cup, many people accused him of wasting the national team's golden generation.

However, it cannot be denied that Belgium has gone through a glorious period with the appearance of stars like Eden Hazard, Kevin De Bruyne and Romelu Lukaku. They are all at their peak and are the best players in the world. In addition, goalkeeper Thibault Courtois is also considered one of the best in the world, along with experienced defenders such as Jan Vertonghen and Toby Alderweireld.

Many people believe that Roberto Martinez "destroyed" Belgium's golden generation. However, is this really true? Many people believe that the unexpected defeat at Euro 2016 was Martinez's fault, but the reality is that he was not the coach of the team in that tournament.


Martinez only took on the coaching role after Marc Wilmots left his position, and there is no denying his success in the first tournament in his new position. At the 2018 World Cup, Belgium reached the semi-finals and only lost to the French team, who later won the championship. There, Belgium showed excellent performance and returned home as heroes.

However, after success at the 2018 World Cup, Martinez did not show much at the next two tournaments. The Belgian team lost at Euro 2020 to Italy, a team that later won the championship, and their performance at the 2022 World Cup was truly disastrous when they were eliminated right from the group stage.

If success at the 2018 World Cup is not taken into account, it can be said that Martinez wasted the golden generation of Belgian football. But the important thing is that it cannot be denied that 2018 happened and it is the most memorable memory of Belgian football in recent years. They had an unforgettable match with the French team, a match that football fans will never forget.

Ultimately, football is a sport full of surprises and unpredictability. It is difficult to assert that another coach could do better with the Belgian team. Euro 2016 showed that even without Martinez, this golden generation cannot always reach the semi-finals or finals. There may be regrets when the team cannot make a major final, but in the end, coaches are often judged more harshly than players, and often leave the job as a villain rather than a hero.