Courtois wanted to stay, Garcia took him off: the controversy overshadowing Belgium's World Cup exit

Belgium are eliminated from the 2026 World Cup after a Mikel Merino goal in the 88th minute, with the 2-1 quarter-final defeat to Spain leaving behind a controversy that could rumble on.

At the heart of the debate: Thibaut Courtois being taken off during the match. The Real Madrid goalkeeper told Belgian media he was ready to continue despite foot pain. “I had pain that prevented me from playing freely with my feet. I could make saves, but couldn’t play well with my feet, on long balls. I wanted to continue, but the coach didn’t want to take the risk, and I respect that decision,” he said. His replacement, Senne Lammens, was directly involved in the goal conceded, which only fuelled questions about the substitution.

Rudi Garcia, for his part, fully stands by his choice. “We need to be at 100%. I’ve never played in this World Cup with players who weren’t totally fit. So I have no regrets about taking Thibaut off. We also didn’t want to aggravate the injury,” the French manager justified.

The Red Devils had delivered a solid run before this quarter-final: a hard-fought qualification against Senegal (3-2), then a dominant display against the United States (4-1). Against Spain, they held firm for long periods, but misfortune piled up: a serious injury to Amadou Onana, Youri Tielemans ruled out in the warm-up, then Courtois being taken off.

The relationship between the goalkeeper and the national team now hangs on a decision. Recall that it was precisely Garcia’s arrival on the Belgian bench that had allowed Courtois to return, after he had fallen out with his predecessor. But the future of the keeper in the Red Devils shirt is now uncertain. “I’d like not to play the Nations League and stay in Madrid to recover. I need to see what the coach and Vincent Mannaert think. If the federation doesn’t align with this request, it was probably my last match with the national team today,” Courtois said. A statement that, whatever comes next, marks the end of a Belgian tournament under intense pressure.