Belgium goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois stood firmly behind young teammate Senne Lammens after the 23-year-old's late mistake handed Spain a dramatic 2-1 victory in the FIFA World Cup 2026 quarter-finals on Friday.
Lammens was in a very difficult situation with one of the most dominant teams in the tournament with the injured Courtois replaced in the 71st minute to the injured Courtois and one of the tournament’s most powerful sides and Lammens was thrown into an incredibly difficult situation. He was thrust into action under duress with a tight and close match between the two teams at 1-1, and the young goalkeeper had to step up to the task of getting to the ball with his goal and save the game when the match was at a dead ball.
Spain got the breakthrough in heartbreaking fashion for Belgium as extra time approached.
In the 88th minute, Pau Cubarsi went through a long-range effort that Lammens failed to collect cleanly. The ball came back to the substitute Mikel Merino who drove the ball home with a bang, so Spain went through to the World Cup semi-finals.
The final whistle hurt Lammens’s feelings and he was at a loss to speak to his team and made a very emotional cry when he saw that his mistake had been so decisive for Belgium’s elimination. But Courtois quickly rushed to help his teammate.
The experienced goalkeeper confirmed he hugged Lammens after the match and reminded him that hard moments are part of a goalkeeper’s journey.
"Senne Lammens, obviously, I gave him a big hug. I know, for goalkeepers, this is a shit feeling and he's a great goalkeeper. He will only get stronger from this," Courtois said.
Courtois himself had been forced off after suffering a muscle problem midway through the second half.
The Real Madrid goalkeeper told UEFA television he felt uncomfortable but he felt he could continue after making several saves.
"I felt something here in my muscle. Then I made some saves and I felt okay, so I thought we could continue. Then I kicked long again and I felt it a bit more," he said.
Although Courtois wanted to stay on the pitch, Belgium manager Rudi Garcia decided not to take any risks.
"Obviously, I wanted to continue and I think the coach wanted someone who was 100%, that’s his decision."
The Belgian captain said he was still capable of stopping shots and was only struggling when kicking the ball long.
"I intended to try to play maybe five or ten more minutes because in goal I felt good. And I was making the saves and I wasn't disturbed when stopping shots. The only problem was kicking long. But that’s the coach’s decision, and that’s not a problem.”
Spain had dominated possession for much of the match, but were made to work hard by a stubborn Belgian side. Fabian Ruiz gave La Roja a 1-0 lead before Charles De Ketelaere equalised just before halftime. It was Merino who once again emerged as Spain’s knockout-stage hero with his second consecutive match-winning goal after also eliminating Portugal in the Round of 16.
The victory sends Spain to a blockbuster semi-final against France and extends La Roja’s remarkable unbeaten run to 36 matches, equalling Argentina’s streak and just one game short of Italy’s 37-match unbeaten run.
For Belgium, the defeat was devastating, but Courtois’ instant sympathy for Lammens was a great lesson that even the toughest moments are something you learn from as a young goalkeeper with a bright future.
