Thibaut Courtois’ World Cup exit leaves Belgium stunned by Spain’s late winner

Thibaut Courtois’ World Cup ended in tears after his injury forced a premature exit as Belgium crashed out to Spain in a dramatic 2-1 quarterfinal defeat on 18 December 2022 in Inglewood, California.

What happened to Thibaut Courtois?

Only 23 minutes into the second half, Courtois: Belgium’s veteran goalkeeper and a Real Madrid star: felt a sharp twinge in his thigh while clearing the ball. He soldiered on at first, but the pain flared up every time he tried a long kick. With the score locked at 1-1, coach Rudi Garcia pulled him in the 71st minute despite Courtois’ protests. The 34-year-old left the field in tears, replaced by 24-year-old backup Senne Lammens.

Why Lammens’ mistake ended Belgium’s run

Lammens had barely warmed the bench when his error decided the game. Pau Cubarsí’s routine shot slipped through his hands, and Mikel Merino pounced to fire home the rebound. The goal, just 17 minutes after Courtois’ exit, sent Spain through to the semifinals against France. For Courtois, it was a brutal end to a tournament where he’d been Belgium’s rock before the injury.

How Belgium fought shorthanded

Even before Courtois went down, Belgium was already missing two midfielders. Youri Tielemans pulled out of the starting lineup with a pregame knock, while Amadou Onana was ruled out for the rest of the tournament after tearing his knee ligament against the U.S. in the round of 16. Yet the aging golden generation: Courtois, Kevin De Bruyne, Romelu Lukaku: dragged Belgium to within a whisker of a famous upset.

Spain dominated possession from the first whistle, but Belgium stayed disciplined. De Bruyne’s vision set up Timothy Castagne’s cross, and Charles De Ketelaere powered a header past Unai Simón in the 41st minute. It was Belgium’s first goal conceded by Spain all tournament: a rare bright spot in a heartbreaking loss.

What this means for Thibaut Courtois’ future

Courtois, one of the world’s elite keepers for a decade, left the field in tears. At 34, his World Cup swansong may have ended in agony. There’s no guarantee he’ll be at the same level in four years’ time, but his legacy as Belgium’s greatest goalkeeper remains untouched.

For Lammens, the moment was cruel. His third cap for Belgium turned into a baptism by fire. But Belgium’s defenders rallied around him. Brandon Mechele admitted the team could have done more to shield the young keeper, while Courtois insisted Lammens would recover. “He’s strong,” Courtois said. “I’m sure he’ll be fine.”

Belgium’s golden generation exits stage left, but their fight in Inglewood will be remembered.