​Thibaut Courtois revealed the details of an injury that forced him to leave Belgium’s clash with Spain. In the quarterfinal, Belgium endured a 2-1 defeat to a Spanish side that looked set to pursue a semifinal against France, and Courtois emerged as the defensive pillar the team leaned on to disrupt their opponents’ momentum. Though Fabian Ruiz scored in the 30th minute, the Belgian goalkeeper projected confidence within his box, organizing his backline and offering a steady presence between the posts.
Everything seemed normal as the second half began. But just 15 minutes after halftime, disaster struck for the Real Madrid stopper. Right before the hydration break, Courtois paused briefly on his feet before gradually collapsing to the turf, seating himself as Belgium’s medical staff rushed out to assess him. He used the moments before and during the hydration interval to recover, appearing ready to continue until he suddenly wasn’t. In the 71st minute, head coach Rudi Garcia decided to substitute Courtois, bringing on Senne Lammens to assume goalkeeping duties. Roughly 17 minutes after Lammens entered the fold, Mikel Merino found the net to seal Spain’s victory, effectively ending Belgium’s run in the tournament.
When speaking to reporters after the match, Courtois described what he felt, the nature of his condition, and why Garcia opted to replace him with Lammens at such a pivotal moment. “Yes, I had a long kick at the start of the second half,” Courtois began, referring to the sensations in his body. “Then I felt something here in my muscle. I made a few saves and looked fine. So I thought, ‘Okay, we’ll continue.’ Then I kicked long again and felt it a bit more. So you know it’s something muscular, and you need to be careful.” He explained Garcia’s decision to bring on Lammens, noting that the coach wanted someone who was 100 percent fit. “Obviously, I wanted to continue. But the coach wanted someone at full capacity. So that’s his decision. I wanted to try to play five or ten more minutes because I was feeling good in goal and making saves. I wasn’t troubled by the saves, only by the long kicks. So that’s the coach’s call, and that’s not a problem.”
The substitution proved costly, as Lammens conceded the decisive goal shortly after stepping in. For the 24-year-old, that moment will linger as a difficult memory. Courtois did his best to ease the burden on the young goalkeeper and the nation after Belgium’s commendable effort against a tournament favorite, only to fall just short at the end. “And Senne, obviously, I gave him a big hug,” Courtois added. “There’s not much more I can do at the moment. For a goalkeeper, this is a tough feeling. He’s a great goalkeeper who will only grow from this. It’s not a problem.”
As a central figure in Belgium’s so-called “Golden Generation,” Courtois offered leadership and reassurance in the wake of the disappointing result, acknowledging the emotional impact on the squad while underscoring his confidence in Lammens’ potential. He affirmed the sense of solidarity within the group and the shared resolve to move forward, even as the national team processes the sting of elimination.