ROSTOV-ON-DON, Russia — Belgium arrived at the World Cup as dark horses, bringing both a roster bulging with talent and question marks about its mental toughness. Could this be the group to power through the knockout rounds and avoid falling by the wayside like the talented yet ultimately doomed Belgian teams of past World Cups?
The Belgians went a long way in answering those doubts on Monday with a stirring, come-from-behind, 3-2 victory, the likes of which haven’t been seen at the knockout stage of the World Cup for almost 50 years. The electrifying comeback, featuring five second-half goals capped by a 94th-minute winner, sent Belgium to a quarterfinal matchup against the five-time World Cup champion Brazil in Kazan on Friday.