Thibaut Courtois makes honest Senne Lammens comment after mistake eliminates Belgium from World Cup

Thibaut Courtois was substituted with a thigh injury during Belgium's World Cup quarter-final defeat to Spain.

Thomas Griffin

Belgium were then dealt a huge blow when Thibaut Courtois injured his left thigh in the second half and was unable to continue after receiving treatment.

The Real Madrid star looked visibly upset after making his way to the bench and was replaced by Senne Lammens.

The 24-year-old has done brilliantly at club level after joining Manchester United last summer, but he didn't cover himself in glory against Spain.

Lammens made a costly error in the 88th minute after spilling Pau Cubarsi's strike, which then fell to Mikel Merino, who found the net from close range.

Speaking after the game, Courtois insists that Lammens will come back even 'stronger' from that moment.

"It is a shame that Senne just couldn’t catch that ball, but that’s football," Courtois said.

"Mike , Guy [Martens] and I went to give him a hug.

"You can’t say much at that moment. It’s just a shame, but Senne is an excellent goalkeeper. He has a bright future ahead of him, and moments like that make you stronger. It shouldn’t be blamed on him. It’s part of football."

Belgium have reached the semi-finals of the World Cup on two previous occasions, once in 1986 and in 2018 after beating England in a third-place play-off.

Spain, meanwhile, are appearing at this stage of the competition for only the second time, with their victory over the Red Devils setting up a mouth-watering showdown against pre-tournament favourites France on Tuesday.

Thibaut Courtois discusses Belgium retirement after World Cup exit

It's the end of the road for Belgium at the 2026 World Cup and several of their golden generation, including Romelu Lukaku, Kevin De Bruyne and Courtois.

The trio have almost certainly made their final appearance at the prestigious tournament, and for Courtois, talk of retirement is ongoing.

"I would like to take a break during the Nations League to think about my future with the national team," the 34-year-old admitted after the game.

"Right now, that is not the most important thing. Maybe I will return for the Euro qualifiers, but ultimately, that decision must be made by the Federation. Depending on whether they continue down this path or not... perhaps this was my last match."

The Real Madrid stopper hinted that Belgium's defeat to Spain could be his final match after 115 caps.

That is a heartbreaking prospect for everyone associated with the nation, and his teary reaction on the substitutes' bench arguably points towards retirement.

Topics: Football , Thibaut Courtois