Courtois substituted? "It was the coach's decision"
The Belgian star goalkeeper was substituted in the World Cup quarter-final against Spain with the score at 1-1. His replacement ultimately conceded the 2-1 goal.
Belgium had to bid farewell to the 2026 FIFA World Cup on Friday.
Against European champions Spain, they suffered a 2-1 defeat in the World Cup quarter-final in Los Angeles (Match report >>>).
The decision was made late in the game: Mikel Merino scored the winning goal for Spain in the 88th minute.
At that point, Belgium's star goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois was no longer on the pitch. The Real Madrid stopper was substituted in the 71st minute, leaving in tears.
Severe Quadriceps Pain
"The tears came from frustration because I had to be substituted in such a game, even though I felt good and had made some important saves after the 1-1 equalizer," Courtois explained after the match.
The 34-year-old goalkeeper had "felt severe pain in his quadriceps," according to his own statements.
Courtois wanted to continue playing
Nevertheless, Courtois would have liked to continue: "I had no problem staying in goal, only with long passes. In the end, the coach decided to take me off because he only wanted players on the pitch who were at 100 percent. Ultimately, it was the coach's decision."
A decision he accepted, however, because "the team comes before everything else."
Replacement Lammens at fault for Belgium's elimination
Ultimately, however, Belgium was eliminated – largely due to a mistake by Courtois' replacement, Senne Lammens, who failed to hold onto a central shot from Pau Cubarsi, allowing Merino to tap in for the 2-1 winner.
"I hugged him tightly. There's not much more I can do at the moment. For a goalkeeper, that's a crappy feeling," Courtois said after the match, trying to encourage Lammens.
"He is a fantastic goalkeeper with a promising future. This moment will make him stronger."
Belgium Retirement? "Otherwise, this was my last game today"
Whether Friday marked Courtois' last appearance as Belgium's national goalkeeper, he could not say for sure shortly after the final whistle.
The Real Madrid goalkeeper definitely intends to skip the UEFA Nations League. Whether he returns for the 2028 European Championship and its qualifiers also depends on whether the coaching staff agrees with his plans.
"If they don't see it that way, I'll have to consider whether I can continue to play for the national team or not. Otherwise, today might have been my last game."
Courtois' 21 World Cup appearances are the second most ever for a goalkeeper – only Manuel Neuer (23) has more to his name.
