Belgian football is thriving and has lifted the mood of a nation. A small country with a population of only 11.2 million heads into Sunday's Euro 2016 round-of-16 match with Hungary as fourth favourites to win the tournament.
The Red Devils have unified and helped a new word come into vogue: "Belgitude" is a confluence between Belgium and attitude, exemplifying the surrealistic desire for a homogeneous country.
Michel Sablon is responsible for much of the renewed 90-minute patriotism: In the early 2000s, the clairvoyant technical director uprooted Belgian football's prolonged state of indolence and inertia with a revolution based on a 4-3-3 formation, individual player development and institutional change.