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Golden Generation

In sports, Golden Generation is a term often used to describe an exceptionally gifted group of players who achieve a level of international success beyond what their team had previously achieved.

Below is a list of teams who have been referred by their countries media or by the soccer press as golden generation style teams.

Origins

It was first coined by the Portuguese sports media to refer to a group of exceptionally gifted teenage Portuguese footballers. This group of players, spearheaded by "Golden Boy" Luís Figo, won several Football World Youth Championships in 1989 and 1991.

Later on, it has been used by media in many different countries, with usage spreading to other areas, for example, in rugby.

Association Football

Portugal national football team

First generation

Many of these players made up the youth national teams of Portugal, these teams were the step-up to the senior team. As a result Portugal reached the semi finals of 2000 UEFA European Football Championship and were runners-up four years later. They were also 2006 FIFA World Cup semi-finalists after a dominating run. Some critics contend that many of the players underachieved at international level.

Second generation

The Portuguese team, now making fourth place at the 2006 FIFA World Cup has earned another group of "Golden Boys". The younger footballers now make up the Portuguese team and are considered the next level of the "Golden Generation". The most prominent of the younger players of the new team include:

Australia national football (soccer) team

After failing to qualify for numerous qualify for world cups the Socceroos finally qualified for the 2006 FIFA World Cup. The Socceroos squad was strong enough to qualify for the second round of the World Cup and many consider it the most talented group of Australian footballers ever assembled.

Bulgaria national football team

In the 1990s, the Bulgarian national football team achieved international success at the 1994 FIFA World Cup, where they reached the semi finals, defeating such football powerhouses like Germany, France and Argentina. Before they had not won a single game.

Croatian national football team

In the mid-to-late 1990s, the Croatia national football team achieved international success, reaching the quarter-finals of 1996 UEFA European Football Championship and the semi-finals of the 1998 FIFA World Cup.Like their Portuguese counterparts many of their golden generation players, they also won a Football World Youth Championship. The likes of Davor Suker, Alen Boksic, Robert Prosinečki and Zvonimir Boban were part of the former Yugoslavia's win in the 1987 FIFA World Youth Championships.

English national football team

Early in the reign of Sven-Göran Eriksson, Adam Crozier, the chief executive of the Football Association and some members of the British media touted players such as David Beckham, Michael Owen and Steven Gerrard as the nucleus of a potential Golden Generation team. However, this group of players as many England teams failed to live up to expectations during Eriksson's tenure, resulting in the term falling out of common use. The team failed to qualify for Euro 2008 - only the second time they failed to qualify for a major tournament in over twenty years (of the last twelve major tournaments).

French national football team

The brilliant generation of players who became the first French team ever to win the World Cup, in 1998, before David Trézéguet's golden goal gave France the European Championship two years later – becoming the only team in history to win back-to-back the World Cup followed by the Euro. During this concentrated time frame, the Zinedine Zidane era swept all before it on the international stage, where the French decade of success was undisputed, adding another title, the 2001 FIFA Confederations Cup to the trophy cabinet, and another two years later, the 2003 FIFA Confederations Cup, and once again reaching the World Cup final in Berlin at the 2006 FIFA World Cup. While Zidane's retirement after the 2006 World Cup was said to have been the end of the golden generation, many agree that the golden era well and truly ended when France failed to string together at Euro 2008 – a tournament where the national team lost its first match to rivals Italy for the first time in over 30 years and also recorded its worst ever defeat in over 40 years (a 1–4 capitulation to Holland). It was the first time ever in 15 years that France had been defeated in two consecutive matches and the first time in 16 years where France failed to pass the group stage at a Euro. These statistics alone suggest that the era had finally come to an end, with the departure of Zidane having a major influence in the decline. The end was made evident when veterans Lilian Thuram and Claude Makélélé announced their international retirements on June 17, 2008. As Makélélé exclaimed: "I have sweated for this [Les Bleus] shirt and it has brought me 100% happiness, so there are no regrets. A new generation can take the reins and come together. I am totally with them. However the French Golden Generation have achieved far more than their Anglo neighbours.

Republic of Ireland national football team

Then there was the brilliant "Golden Generation" of Republic of Ireland youth football of the late 1990s. Under the guidance of Brian Kerr, the unfancied Republic won the UEFA U-16 and U-18 European championships in 1998. In 1999, they played at the World Youth Cup in Nigeria, where the Republic reached the last 16 before going out on penalties to the hosts. Many of the players went on to play at Korea/Japan '02, where the team reached the second round before succumbing to Spain in a tightly-fought penalty shootout.

Mexican national football team

This players won the 2005 U-17 World Cup marking the first time any Mexican national football team won a world tournament. After doing so the Mexican press named them the Golden Generation of Mexican football

Romania national football team

In the 1990s, The Romania national football team achieved international prestige, peaking at the 1994 FIFA World Cup, where they reached the quarter finals.

Japan national football team

In Japan, the players who were born in 1979 or 1980 are strictly referred to as "The Golden Generation" (黄金世代: Ougon Sedai). They won the silver medals at 1999 FIFA World Youth Championship. In a wide sense, those who were born in 1977 or 1978 are also included in the generation, because they were qualified the group stage at the 2000 Summer Olympics.

They, combined with some of elder players, reached the final at 2001 FIFA Confederations Cup and won the AFC Asian Cup consecutively (2000 and 2004). As a co-host country of 2002 FIFA World Cup, they qualified the first round with 7 points (2 wins 1 draw).

Their brilliant achievement are due to the training strategy of Japan Football Association, as well as the success of J. League. Many of the players have moved to and played at football teams in Europe.

born in 1979-1980

born in 1977-1978

Greece national football team

In the 2004, The Greek national football team achieved international prestige, triumhing at Euro 2004 and causing one of the biggest upsets in football history.

Turkey national football team

In the mid 1990s to early 21st Century, the Turkey national football team achieved international success, reaching the quarter-finals of the 2000 UEFA European Football Championship and the semi-finals of the 2002 FIFA World Cup and Euro 2008.

Ajax Amsterdam

AFC Ajax's world renowned youth academy produced the majority of the stars who took Ajax to victory in the UEFA Champions League 1994-95.

Rugby union

Ireland national rugby union team

From 2001, Ireland's team has been chosen from a solid base of immensely talented players, led by Brian O'Driscoll. However, the team itself has been close runners up in the Six Nations tournament several times, not winning it, and were disappointingly knocked out of the 2007 Rugby World Cup.