Spain Advances to World Cup Semifinals After Late Goal Sinks Belgium
INGLEWOOD, Calif. — Just minutes into the second half of Friday’s World Cup quarterfinal against a heavily favored Spain side, Belgium goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois felt a sharp pain in his thigh while launching a goal kick downfield.
Although he initially believed he could continue, the discomfort flared up every time he attempted a long kick.
Rather than keep an injured player on the pitch, Belgium coach Rudi Garcia replaced the Real Madrid goalkeeper in the 71st minute of the tied 1-1 match. Courtois left the field in tears as backup Senne Lammens took his place.
“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 substitution proved pivotal less than 20 minutes later when Lammens committed a costly error. The 24-year-old Manchester United goalkeeper fumbled a routine shot from Spanish center back Pau Cubarsí directly into the penalty area. Mikel Merino reacted instantly, knocking in the rebound to secure a 2-1 victory for Spain, which now advances to the World Cup semifinals against France.
For the 34-year-old Courtois, the injury offered a difficult conclusion to what may be his final World Cup appearance. Having been recognized as one of the world’s elite goalkeepers for a decade, his future at the international level remains uncertain.
For Lammens, the moment served as a harsh introduction to tournament soccer. Despite his composed performance during Manchester United’s campaign last season, this match marked only his third cap for Belgium.
“It’s a learning moment for him,” said Belgian defender Brandon Mechele. “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.”
Belgium’s ability to challenge a talent-heavy Spain team was a remarkable achievement, particularly given the squad’s injuries. Captain Youri Tielemans was scratched from the starting lineup after an injury during pregame warmups, and Amadou Onana had already been ruled out for the remainder of the tournament due to a torn knee ligament sustained in the round of 16.
Despite being labeled a team past its prime, Belgium’s “golden generation”—including Kevin De Bruyne and Romelu Lukaku—delivered a resilient performance alongside younger talents like Jeremy Doku and Charles De Ketelaere.
Spain maintained control of possession throughout the match, but Belgium remained defensively organized. In the 41st minute, the Belgians became the first team in the tournament to score against Spain. De Bruyne provided a precise pass to Timothy Castagne, whose cross allowed De Ketelaere to header the ball into the net, ending Spain’s 649-minute streak without conceding a goal.
Belgium attempted to find a second goal in the second half but could not convert their remaining opportunities.
Though they leave without a trophy, the team leaves with 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.”