It's the 80th minute. Belgium are a goal down to France in the semi-finals of the World Cup. Their captain Eden Hazard latches on to a ball on the left side of the field. There is a sense of expectation – Hazard has arguably been the player of the tournament so far, impressing with his quick-feet and direct play. He drops his shoulders and in a series of quick, gravity-defying moves, the diminutive forward outfoxes a bunch of French footballers in his run towards the goal including Les Blues' star-of-the-night Paul Pogba.

 

He makes a quick change in direction, turning with the ball glued to the outside of his foot, to open up an angle, only to be brought down by his Chelsea teammate and French forward Olivier Giroud. But to the bemusement of the Belgium team and their supporters, the referee waves off the appeal and indicates Hazard to get up. The captain looks at the referee, distraught, partly in pain, but mostly due to frustration. Hazard, lying on the field clutching his leg, probably realised it was going to be that kind of night for his team – where you give it all and yet come short.

The play encapsulated Belgium's tournament. The Red Devils walked into the tournament as outside favourites. Their Golden Generation of footballers had sizzled in club-level football for a few years now, but the team had not really achieved great heights in the international arena. There was an air of expectation, especially after their dominant performances in the qualification stages. The team thrilled in the tournament, scoring the most number of goals, winning all their games and even knocking out bookies' favourite Brazil in the quarter-final. But much like Hazard's play, the World Cup seemed one hurdle too many for the Belgian stars, with the team falling short in the semi-final stage.