Thibaut Courtois backed Belgian substitute Senne Lammens after his late mistake gave Spain a 2-1 victory in the World Cup quarter-final on Friday.
Courtois was forced off in the 71st minute with a muscle problem and made way for 24-year-old Lammens at the SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles.
Lammens’ performance ended painfully when he failed to deal with Pau Cubarsi’s long-range strike, allowing Mikel Merino to pounce and score Spain’s 88th-minute winner.
«I gave him a big hug. He is a great goalkeeper. This only makes you stronger,» Courtois said.
«He’s a strong man with a strong personality. I’m sure he’ll be fine. He’ll have a few holidays, then regroup in Manchester and have a great season.»
Courtois revealed he had felt pain in his right leg after a clearance at the start of the second half but wanted to continue.
“Of course I wanted to continue, but the coach wanted someone who worked 100 percent,” he said. “I wanted to try to play maybe five or ten minutes because I was feeling good and making saves.
«That is a decision of the coach and that is not a problem. Of course you are not happy when you have to leave a World Cup quarter-final, but sometimes it is what it is.»
Learning curve
Belgian defender Brandon Mechele also supported Lammens and described the mistake as a «learning moment».
«It wasn’t the easiest ball. I think it bounced right in front of him and we as defenders could have helped him by following more,» said Mechele.
“He has to learn from this and as a group we have to be there for each other.”
Published on July 11, 2026
