The squad began the knockout stages with a stirring come-from-behind 3-2 victory over Japan and then shocked Brazil in the quarterfinals, 2-1, to vault into the semifinals.

What’s at Stake

Belgium’s coach, Roberto Martinez , overseeing a once-in-a-lifetime stable of talent, will be looking to demonstrate that he has the managerial talent to match the players on the pitch.

Martinez has leaned on some of the younger members of the team, like Kevin De Bruyne, Eden Hazard and Romelu Lukaku, in hopes that young legs can propel the Belgian team farther than its 2014 iteration, which ran out of steam. If so, the players may fulfill the promise of a new golden generation.