Belgium 1986
Belgium at Mexico 1986 produced the finest World Cup run in their history to that point, reaching the semi-finals with a combination of tactical discipline and fearless attacking. The Red Devils topped a group containing Mexico, Paraguay, and Iraq, then beat the Soviet Union 4-3 after extra time in a round-of-16 classic overcoming Igor Belanov's hat-trick with sheer resilience. In the quarter-final, they stunned Spain on penalties. The semi-final against Argentina was a bridge too far: Diego Maradona scored two extraordinary goals both solo runs of devastating brilliance in a 2-0 defeat. Belgium finished fourth, but their campaign proved they could compete at the highest level. The team of Jan Ceulemans, Enzo Scifo, and Jean-Marie Pfaff earned Belgium's place among the elite of 1980s football.
