INGLEWOOD, Calif. (AP) — Belgium goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois left his team's World Cup quarterfinal loss to Spain on Friday in the second half with an apparent injury.
Courtois was in tears on the Belgium sideline after he was replaced by Senne Lammens in the 71st minute of a 1-1 match. Spain went on to win 2-1 and reach the semifinals.
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Belgium goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois, right, leaves the pitch after sustaining an injury during the World Cup quarterfinal soccer match between Spain and Belgium in Inglewood, Calif., near Los Angeles, Friday, July 10, 2026. (AP Photo/Andre Penner)
Belgium goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois (1) is substitued by Belgium goalkeeper Senne Lammens (12) due to an injury during the World Cup quarterfinal soccer match between Spain and Belgium in Inglewood, Calif., near Los Angeles, Friday, July 10, 2026. (AP Photo/Marcio J. Sanchez)
Belgium head coach Rudi Garcia hugs goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois (1) after he was substitued due to an injury during the World Cup quarterfinal soccer match between Spain and Belgium in Inglewood, Calif., near Los Angeles, Friday, July 10, 2026. (AP Photo/Marcio J. Sanchez)
Belgium goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois (1) goes off the field during the World Cup quarterfinal soccer match between Spain and Belgium in Inglewood, Calif., near Los Angeles, Friday, July 10, 2026. (AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson)
Belgium goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois, right, leaves the pitch after sustaining an injury during the World Cup quarterfinal soccer match between Spain and Belgium in Inglewood, Calif., near Los Angeles, Friday, July 10, 2026. (AP Photo/Andre Penner)
“You’re not happy when you have to leave a quarterfinal of a World Cup,” said Courtois, who made four saves before departing.
The longtime Real Madrid keeper went down to the grass with what appeared to be a thigh injury four minutes before his substitution, and he received treatment during the hydration break. Courtois said he felt a pain in his muscle on a long kick at the start of the second half.
“Then I did some saves, I felt OK, so I thought, ‘OK, we’ll continue.’ Then I kicked again long and I felt a bit more so then you know it’s something muscular and you need to be careful,” he said. “I wanted to try to play maybe five, 10 more minutes to see because in goal I was feeling good, I was making the saves and I was not disturbed. I was only disturbed to kick long.”
The injury didn't improve enough for Courtois to continue, and Belgium replaced him with Lammens, the Manchester United keeper who had not yet played at the World Cup.
Lammens then spilled a long shot from Pau Cubarsí in the 88th minute and Mikel Merino scored off the rebound to send Spain to the semifinals and a match against France.
“I gave him a big hug, much more I cannot do in the moment,” Courtois said. “He’s a great goalkeeper. He will only get stronger from this.”
Courtois was appearing in his 21st World Cup match, the second-most in tournament history for goalkeepers behind Germany's Manuel Neuer.
Courtois made 10 saves and allowed five goals in Belgium's first five matches at this year's World Cup.
Fabián Ruiz scored in the 30th minute for Spain, but Belgium forward Charles De Ketelaere scored the first goal allowed by Spain in the entire World Cup in the 41st minute.
“We're very proud of everything we've done,” Courtois said. “We are a small country of not even 12 million people that on big tournaments are showing amazing things.”
See more of AP’s World Cup coverage here
Belgium goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois, right, leaves the pitch after sustaining an injury during the World Cup quarterfinal soccer match between Spain and Belgium in Inglewood, Calif., near Los Angeles, Friday, July 10, 2026. (AP Photo/Andre Penner)
Belgium goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois (1) is substitued by Belgium goalkeeper Senne Lammens (12) due to an injury during the World Cup quarterfinal soccer match between Spain and Belgium in Inglewood, Calif., near Los Angeles, Friday, July 10, 2026. (AP Photo/Marcio J. Sanchez)
Belgium head coach Rudi Garcia hugs goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois (1) after he was substitued due to an injury during the World Cup quarterfinal soccer match between Spain and Belgium in Inglewood, Calif., near Los Angeles, Friday, July 10, 2026. (AP Photo/Marcio J. Sanchez)
Belgium goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois (1) goes off the field during the World Cup quarterfinal soccer match between Spain and Belgium in Inglewood, Calif., near Los Angeles, Friday, July 10, 2026. (AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson)
Belgium goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois, right, leaves the pitch after sustaining an injury during the World Cup quarterfinal soccer match between Spain and Belgium in Inglewood, Calif., near Los Angeles, Friday, July 10, 2026. (AP Photo/Andre Penner)
