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Courtois says he never asked to be substituted against Spain, insisting Belgium coach Rudi Garcia made the call after the goalkeeper struggled with a quadriceps injury.
Belgium’s Thibaut Courtois (AP)
Thibaut Courtois has insisted he never asked to be substituted during Belgium’s heartbreaking World Cup quarterfinal defeat to Spain, revealing it was head coach Rudi Garcia who made the final decision after the goalkeeper struggled with a muscle injury.
The Real Madrid star was forced off with a muscle injury during Belgium’s 2-1 quarterfinal defeat before watching from the sidelines as substitute goalkeeper Senne Lammens’ late error gifted Spain the winning goal and a place in the semifinals.
Injury Forces Courtois off
Courtois had once again been one of Belgium’s standout performers at SoFi Stadium, despite the Red Devils already being without injured midfielder Youri Tielemans.
However, midway through the second half, the 34-year-old began struggling with a quadriceps problem. Although he initially wanted to continue, the injury prevented him from taking long goal kicks, prompting head coach Rudi Garcia to make a change.
“We had the hydration break and I wanted to continue, but it’s true that I couldn’t kick the ball 80 metres,” Courtois said.
“Then the coach said, ‘If you’re not at 100 per cent, I’ll take you off.’ The decision was the coach’s. I didn’t ask to come off.”
He later added: “I felt a lot of pain in my quadriceps. But I had no problem staying in goal, only taking long kicks. In the end, the manager decided to take me off. That’s no problem because the team comes above everything.”
Cruel Ending For Belgium
The substitution proved pivotal.
Lammens was thrown straight into the action and, in the 88th minute, failed to hold Pau Cubarsi’s low effort, allowing Mikel Merino to score the rebound that sealed Spain’s dramatic victory.
After the final whistle, an emotional Courtois was seen in tears before consoling his replacement, who had endured a nightmare introduction on the biggest stage.
Courtois Considering Belgium Hiatus
The defeat has also prompted Courtois to reconsider his international schedule.
Having already spent almost two years away from the national team between 2023 and 2025 following his public disagreement with former coach Domenico Tedesco over the captaincy, the veteran goalkeeper now wants another break — this time to manage his workload.
“I want to rest for a year without any Belgium matches, and then play the EURO qualifiers and the 2028 EURO,” Courtois said.
“I don’t know if Belgium will agree to this.”
About the Author
After training in the field of broadcast media, Siddarth, as a sub-editor for News18 Sports, currently dabbles in putting together stories, from across a plethora of sports, onto a digital canvas. His…Read More
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