Belgian media savage Man Utd keeper Lammens after costly World Cup quarter-final howler

Senne Lammens gifted Spain a 2-1 World Cup quarter-final victory over Belgium in Los Angeles after fumbling a Pau Cubarsi effort in the 88th minute, allowing Arsenal’s Mikel Merino to tap home and end the Red Devils’ tournament. The Manchester United goalkeeper had only entered the game as a substitute after first-choice Thibaut Courtois was forced off injured in the 71st minute, visibly emotional as he left the field.

Spain had taken the lead through Fabian Ruiz, who tapped home a rebound on the half-hour mark, before Charles De Ketelaere levelled with a header — the first goal Spain had conceded in the tournament — to send the sides into the final quarter with the tie finely balanced. Lammens’s error ultimately denied Belgium the extra time that had seemed inevitable.

Belgian daily newspaper Le Soir was scathing in its assessment. Their expert wrote: “Senne Lammens simply cannot make a mistake like that on the second goal. He has to hold onto that ball every time. It is a massive blunder by the Manchester United goalkeeper, one that sends us packing. I’m gutted to go home because of a goal like that. I would have preferred a 3–0 thrashing. Lammens cost us the match.”

The same piece went further, raising doubts about Lammens’s long-term reliability at international level: “Even back at Royal Antwerp, I didn’t always find him reliable. He was prone to the occasional lapse in concentration. Since moving to Manchester, he’s been conceding an average of 1.5 goals per game. If Courtois decides to retire from international football, Lammens is the number one candidate to take over. He’s going to have to cut out these kinds of errors.”

Not all Belgian outlets were as damning. Online platform Sporza acknowledged the howler but offered a more measured take, noting the context of Lammens being thrust into a World Cup quarter-final at short notice following Courtois’s injury.

The defeat ends Belgium’s campaign under manager Rudi Garcia, while Spain — the reigning European champions — advance to a semi-final meeting with France.