Thibaut Courtois expressed his frustration following Belgium's defeat to Spain in the World Cup 2026 quarter-finals. The Real Madrid goalkeeper sustained a thigh injury during the second half, leading to an emotional substitution in the 70th minute for Senne Lammens. Unfortunately, Lammens' mistake in the dying minutes allowed Mikel Merino to score the decisive goal, sending Belgium home.

Courtois, visibly upset, revealed that he felt he could have continued playing despite the injury. He explained that the issue arose after a long kick early in the second half, stating:

"I felt something near my muscle. I made some saves. I felt okay, so I continued. Then, I kicked it long again and I felt it a bit more."

He emphasized that it was coach Rudi Garcia's decision to replace him, adding:

"Obviously, I wanted to continue but the coach wanted someone 100%."

Despite the loss, Courtois showed support for Lammens after the costly error, stating:

"He's a great goalkeeper and he will only get stronger from this, he has a lot of personality."

Courtois reflected on the disappointment of exiting the tournament, noting his eagerness to assess the injury in the coming weeks. Meanwhile, Spain is set to face France in the semi-finals on Tuesday in Dallas, a rematch of the Euro 2024 semi-final, which Spain won 2-1.