During the 10 years from 2002 to 2012 in which Belgium failed to qualify for major tournaments, a golden generation matured, many of whom gained both prime individual and team awards in foreign European clubs and competitions. These include defender and former captain Vincent Kompany; Kevin De Bruyne, who is widely regarded as one of the best midfielders of his generation; Eden Hazard, who has been praised as one of the best players of all time; and Romelu Lukaku, who is currently Belgium's all-time top scorer. Other key players of this golden generation include Thibaut Courtois, Jan Vertonghen, Yannick Carrasco, Axel Witsel, Mousa Dembélé, Dries Mertens, and Toby Alderweireld. These players helped Belgium finish in third place at the 2018 FIFA World Cup, the team's best ever performance at the World Cup; and reach number one in the FIFA World Rankings for the first time in November 2015.
