The ‘golden generation’ has been left without glory and will also lose some top players, at least temporarily. Kevin De Bruyne and Romelu Lukaku have hinted that they will skip the October cycle of the Nations League, where Belgium is set to face challenging matches against Italy and France.Both players have already informed coach Domenico Tedesco not to count on them. However, as reported by local media and echoed by major European outlets, neither the creative midfielder nor the striker has definitively said “goodbye” to the national team. They both still have ambitions to participate in the 2026 World Cup.##NAJAVA_MECA_8380112##Before that, it seems they want to clear some things up, particularly De Bruyne. After Belgium’s match against France a month ago, television cameras caught him saying, “I’m done, I’m done.” Many interpreted this as his farewell to the Red Devils’ jersey, reportedly because he is dissatisfied with the style of play, which hasn’t brought much success for Belgium recently.Romelu Lukaku seems to be taking a similar path, at least for the upcoming two matches. It’s not yet clear what has motivated him to step aside temporarily. In September, he missed the national team gathering, explaining that he had to resolve his club status as he awaited a transfer to Napoli. At that time, it was understandable. Now, however, it’s less so, as he plays regularly under Antonio Conte and is scoring goals.🚨 Kevin De Bruyne and Romelu Lukaku will not be called up for Belgium’s Nations League matches against Italy and France.De Bruyne is still injured and Lukaku wants to work on his fitness after not having a pre-season because of his transfer to Napoli. 🇧🇪❌@lesoir pic.twitter.com/UJpoIgIeXP— Football Tweet ⚽ (@Football__Tweet) October 2, 2024 There are opinions in Belgium that this may be a continuation of a silent boycott or, at the very least, a message from two influential players to the leadership of the Belgian Football Association, signaling their disagreement with Domenico Tedesco’s methods. After all, Thibaut Courtois has already announced that he will not play for the national team as long as the German coach of Italian descent remains in charge.Despite having potential for better results than just one semifinal appearance at major tournaments (the 2018 World Cup), Belgium has won nothing under Tedesco, nor under previous coaches Roberto Martinez or Marc Wilmots.
