Belgium captain Thibaut Courtois has thrown his full support behind goalkeeper Senne Lammens following the youngster’s costly mistake in the Red Devils’ heartbreaking FIFA World Cup quarter-final defeat to Spain.
Belgium’s hopes of reaching the last four were dashed when Mikel Merino capitalised on a goalkeeping error late in the match to seal a dramatic 2-1 victory for La Roja.
While the defeat brought Belgium’s World Cup journey to an end, Courtois was quick to defend his teammate, insisting the difficult moment would ultimately help the Manchester United goalkeeper grow stronger.
Lammens was called into action in the 71st minute after Courtois was forced off with a muscle problem.
The substitute looked composed until the closing stages, when he failed to hold Pau Cubarsí’s long-range effort, allowing Merino to react quickest and convert the rebound with just two minutes remaining.
Rather than criticise the young goalkeeper, Courtois immediately offered words of encouragement after the final whistle.
“Senne, yeah I gave him a big hug, much more I cannot do,” Courtois said after the game. “For goalkeepers it’s a s— feeling.
“He’s a great goalkeeper and he’ll only get stronger from this, so it’s not a problem. Eventually you cannot say much more to him, much more advice.
“He’s a strong guy, a strong personality and I’m sure he’ll be fine. He’ll have a holidays, he’ll regroup, he’ll go to Manchester and have a great season — I have no doubt about this.”
Courtois also explained the circumstances surrounding his own substitution, revealing he initially wanted to continue despite feeling discomfort.
The Real Madrid goalkeeper said the injury first appeared after taking a goal kick early in the second half but believed he could manage the problem.
“Yeah it was with a long kick at the beginning at the second half that I felt something near my muscle, then I did some saves, I felt OK so I thought OK we’ll continue, and then I kicked again and felt it a bit more.”
Although disappointed to leave the pitch, Courtois accepted head coach Rudi Garcia’s decision to prioritise caution.
“Obviously I wanted to continue but the coach wanted someone 100%, and that’s OK, it’s his decision.
“I wanted to wait five, 10 more minutes to see because in goal, I was feeling good, I was making the saves. That’s the decision of the coach, and that’s not a problem.”
The defeat has also raised fresh questions about Courtois’ international future.
At 34, the experienced shot-stopper admitted he is considering taking a temporary break from Belgium duty before returning for future major tournaments.
“Ultimately, it’s something we need to discuss with the coach and Vincent Mannaert.
“It might be good to take a break from the Nations League for a year — to find some breathing room in a hectic schedule — and then return for the qualifiers and potentially the Euros. But in the end, that’s a decision for the coach and the federation.
“If they don’t see it that way, I’ll have to consider whether or not I can keep coming back. Otherwise, today might have been my last match.
“Maybe I’m leaning more towards continuing than stopping, but we’ll see. Ultimately, it’s something we need to discuss with Vincent and the coach.
“We’ll see what their perspective is, and then we can make a decision.”
Belgium’s World Cup campaign may have ended in disappointment, but Courtois’ reaction reflected the leadership that has defined his international career.
Rather than dwell on individual mistakes, the veteran goalkeeper chose to protect a younger teammate while leaving the door open for one more chapter with the Red Devils.
Whether Courtois returns for another major tournament remains uncertain, but his support for Lammens highlighted the unity that continues to define Belgium’s dressing room despite their painful exit from the global stage.
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