 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 two Football World Youth Championships in 1989 and 1991.This group were close to retirement in the early part of the 21st century, leading the European sports media to spotlight the Golden Generation's chances of winning a senior trophy at tournaments such as UEFA Euro 2000, the 2002 FIFA World Cup, Euro 2004 (which Portugal hosted) and the 2006 World Cup.