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10 July 2026

Thibaut Courtois revealed that he could have continued playing despite suffering a thigh injury during Belgium’s World Cup 2026 quarter-final defeat against Spain. The Real Madrid goalkeeper was forced off in the 70th minute, visibly emotional, as Senne Lammens replaced him. However, Lammens’ late error allowed Mikel Merino to score the decisive goal, ending Belgium’s campaign.

Courtois, who was seen clutching his left thigh, later explained that the discomfort began early in the second half but insisted he was not significantly hindered. He confirmed that it was coach Rudi Garcia’s call to substitute him rather than his own decision.

“It happened after a long kick at the start of the second half; I felt something near my muscle,” Courtois said afterwards in the mixed zone. “I made a few saves and felt fine, so I decided to carry on. Then I took another long kick and felt it again a bit more. That’s when you realise it’s a muscular issue, and you have to be cautious.”

He continued, “Of course, I wanted to stay on, but the coach preferred someone who was 100%. So, it’s his decision. I wanted to try playing another five or ten minutes because I felt good — I was making saves and wasn’t affected when stopping shots. The only problem was kicking long balls, so I understand the coach’s decision.”

Courtois also came to the defence of his teammate Lammens after the young goalkeeper’s late mistake, praising his strength of character. “I gave him a big hug — that’s all you can really do in that moment,” Courtois said. “He’s a very good goalkeeper, and this experience will only make him stronger. He has a great personality.”

Reflecting on his own feelings, Courtois added, “Personally, it’s obviously disappointing to go off during a World Cup quarter-final. I’ll take some rest for the next few weeks and then assess the injury.”

Spain will now face France in a blockbuster all-European semi-final clash in Dallas on Tuesday, a rematch of their Euro 2024 semi-final encounter, which Spain won 2-1.