Courtois Defends Lemmons After World Cup Exit

Belgian goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois defended young backup Senne Lemmens after a costly error contributed to Belgium's World Cup elimination and announced plans to take a one-year break from international duty.

Belgium's 2026 World Cup campaign ended in the quarterfinals following a 1-2 defeat to Spain on July 10. During the match, Courtois suffered an injury in the 71st minute and was replaced by Lemmens. In the 88th minute, Lemmens failed to save a long-range shot before Miguel Merino scored the winning goal for Spain.

After the match, Courtois defended Lemmens: "First of all, I sympathize with Senne. Being a goalkeeper is the most unforgiving position in football. You might make ten brilliant decisions, but people will remember only your one mistake."

"However, this is the knockout stage of the World Cup, and the margins are incredibly thin. Unfortunately, those moments can decide the entire competition," Courtois continued. "When you represent Belgium at this level, every action matters."

"I believe Senne will learn from this mistake and come back stronger. He has the talent to do so. But when you're competing for the greatest trophy in football, whether with Belgium or at club level, these moments define your career."

Regarding his international future, Courtois stated: "I want to take a one-year break from playing for Belgium, then return for the Euro qualifiers and Euro 2028. I don't know if Belgium will agree to this."