During the matchup between Belgium and Spain in the quarterfinals of the 2026 World Cup, Thibaut Courtois was substituted in the 71st minute for Senne Lammens. Minutes earlier, Courtois had gone down to the ground on his own due to an apparent muscle injury, and he left the pitch in tears.
Courtois’ setback comes after Belgium were forced into a last-minute team change due to injury, with captain Youri Tielemans picking up a suspected hamstring injury in the warm-up.
Tielemans was set to start alongside Nicolas Raskin in the middle but was replaced by Club Brugge midfielder Hans Vanaken just 12 minutes before kick-off.
A costly injury
Senne Lammens entered the match for Courtois but was responsible for Spain taking the lead. Following a shot from Pau Cubarsi, Lammens gave up an unusual rebound, which was tracked down by Mikel Merino, who scored with ease.
Thibaut Courtois was visibly emotional after having to sub off for Belgium 🇧🇪
— FOX Sports (@FOXSports) July 10, 2026
Senne Lammens comes on to replace him pic.twitter.com/SAf0VxNdaZ
The moment Thibaut Courtois appeared to suffer an injury, resulting in him being subbed off in the second half pic.twitter.com/K140jXaIFS
— FOX Sports (@FOXSports) July 10, 2026
It was a mistake that cost them the match. Belgium had done everything possible to defend and play on transitions against a dominant Spain, but they lost due to a costly blunder.
This already leaves everyone wondering: what would have happened if Courtois had stayed on the pitch? Would Spain have secured the goal? How long would they have lasted, or is it possible they could have even secured the victory with their own mystique?
Belgium on the verge of an epic comeback
Belgium initially fell behind following a great goal by Fabian Ruiz, who earned a place in the starting lineup for Spain. Later, Charles De Ketelaere managed to score with a header following an assist from Timothy Castagne.
