World Cup
Tears on the pitch: Courtois forced off as Spain clash turns painful
Imar VandenabeeleSportjournalist at HLN10 wrote that Courtois, 34, was seen on the grass with a painful grimace and immediately grabbed his quadriceps. The moment looked like a brief scare, but the Belgian goalkeeper left the field in tears a few minutes later. He was comforted by teammates and by national coach Rudi Garcia. The report, tagged Photo, noted the incident and even mentioned the Google-favorietNét. NewsToch also covered the episode.
After the match Courtois spoke to the press, saying: “Het is gewoon jammer om eruit te gaan. Het was een speciale match. Ik voelde me goed. Ik had twee keer uitgetrapt. Bij de tweede keer voelde ik toch iets meer pijn in de quadriceps. Ik heb meegedeeld dat ik geen lange ballen meer kon trappen.” He added that he wanted to stay on the pitch but respected the coach’s decision.
Senne Lammens replaced Courtois and, according to the report, made a mistake when the score stood at 2‑1, intensifying the disappointment. Courtois later praised Lammens, calling him “een uitstekende keeper” and noting that teammates gave him a hug. The commentary appeared under IMAGN IMAGES via ReutersDat and referenced the Rode Duivel.
Courtois highlighted that Belgium was “de enige ploeg die gescoord heeft tegen Spanje, een van de grootste favorieten.” He also mentioned that decisions about his future will involve coach Rudi Garcia and Vincent Mannaert. The article linked the situation to earlier injuries to Amadou Onana and Youri Tielemans at the WK, with references to AP and Photo/Mark.
The goalkeeper’s future at the tournament remains uncertain, and he said he will decide together with the coach and Vincent Mannaert. Hans Vanaken was noted as a replacement option, and the piece concluded with citations to News and Lees.