Spain Eliminates Belgium in World Cup Quarterfinal After Late Goalkeeper Error
INGLEWOOD, Calif. — Only minutes into the second half of Friday’s World Cup quarterfinal against heavily favored Spain, Belgium goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois felt a twinge in his thigh while booming a goal kick downfield.
He initially felt capable of continuing, but the pain returned each time he attempted a long kick.
Rather than ask Courtois to push through the injury, Belgium coach Rudi Garcia opted to replace the Real Madrid goalkeeper in the 71st minute of the 1-1 match. Courtois left the field wiping tears from his eyes as backup Senne Lammens entered the game.
“I wanted to continue, but the coach wanted someone 100%,” Courtois said. “I wanted to try to play maybe 5-10 more minutes because, in goal, I was feeling good, I was making saves and I was not disturbed to make those saves. I was only disturbed to kick long.”
The situation turned less than 20 minutes later when Lammens made a critical error. The 24-year-old Manchester United goalkeeper spilled a routine shot from Spain center back Pau Cubarsí into the penalty area. Spain’s Mikel Merino reacted fastest, slamming the rebound home to secure a 2-1 victory and a spot in the World Cup semifinals against France.
For Courtois, the injury marked a painful potential end to his World Cup career. While the 34-year-old has ranked among the world’s best goalkeepers for a decade, his future in the tournament remains uncertain.
For Lammens, it was a harsh introduction to World Cup soccer. The young goalkeeper had previously impressed with his composure during Manchester United’s campaign last season, but this appearance marked only his third for Belgium’s national team.
“It’s a learning moment for him,” Belgian defender Brandon Mechele said. “It was not the most easy ball. I think it bounced just in front of him. We as defenders also could have helped him by following maybe more.”
Courtois added: “He’s a strong guy. He’s a strong personality. I’m sure he will be fine.”
Pushing a talent-laden Spanish side to the limit was a significant achievement for Belgium, especially given their depleted roster. Before Courtois’ injury, Belgium was already missing two key midfielders. Captain Youri Tielemans withdrew during pregame warmups, and Amadou Onana remained sidelined with a torn knee ligament sustained in Monday’s round-of-16 match against the U.S.
Despite being labeled as a team past its prime, the Belgian squad—featuring veterans like Kevin De Bruyne and Romelu Lukaku alongside younger talents like Jeremy Doku and Charles De Ketelaere—remained competitive throughout the match.
Spain controlled possession for much of the game, but Belgium stayed organized defensively. In the 41st minute, the Belgians became the first team to score against Spain in the tournament when De Bruyne, Timothy Castagne, and De Ketelaere combined for a precise equalizer.
De Bruyne delivered a sharp one-time pass to Castagne, who sent a cross into the box. De Ketelaere then outmaneuvered Cubarsí to head the ball home, ending Spain’s 649-minute streak without conceding a World Cup goal.
Belgium created a few scoring chances in the second half, both before and after Merino’s goal, but they could not find a second equalizer.
The team leaves the tournament without a trophy but maintains a strong record, having reached the quarterfinals or further in three of the last four World Cups.
“In the big tournaments almost always we have done well,” Courtois said. “A lot of times we get criticism that your golden generation never won anything. We are Belgium. We are not Spain or England or France.”