When defeating the U.S. in the World Cup last 16, Belgium demonstrated resilience against FIFA, a host nation, and its president. It was a remarkable achievement.
During their quarter-final against Spain, however, they faced an insurmountable challenge: fate.
First, they lost combative midfielder Amadou Onana to a torn anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) last week; then Youri Tielemans, the team’s metronomic pace-setter in possession, limped out of the warm-up to the Spain game with a hamstring injury.
They remained offering impressive resistance to Spain, drawing 1-1 in the 70th minute, when the final blow arrived: Thibaut Courtois, one of the world’s finest goalkeepers, was forced off in tears due to his own leg injury.
For the back-up, Manchester United’s Senne Lammens appeared a secure option, but asking a 24-year-old to make his World Cup debut in a quarter-final against Spain before 70,000 spectators proved a step too far.
With just two minutes remaining, Lammens parried Pau Cubarsi’s awkward, bouncing 25-yard shot into the path of Mikel Merino, who gobbled up the rebound. Belgium were finally beaten.
SPAIN TAKES THE LATE LEAD IN CHAOTIC FASHION
Mikel Merino is the super sub once again for La Roja! pic.twitter.com/oXE2gDVa14
— FOX Sports (@FOXSports) July 10, 2026
Defeat felt like fate had intervened decisively. Yet, did it? In a television interview, Courtois suggested — with as much composure as he could muster — that he could have remained on the pitch longer. Head coach Rudi Garcia, however, decided to substitute him.
“Ultimately, the team comes first,” Courtois said. “I can understand it, because Senne is a good goalkeeper. I was willing to stay on for another five or 10 minutes, as long as I didn’t have to kick the ball very far. I’ve had to do that a lot in recent weeks. At a certain point, your body has had enough of it.”
Garcia, known for his impulsiveness, confirmed it was his decision to sub Courtois, who had initially seemed to recover an injury from a shot by Mikel Oyarzabal.
Thibaut Courtois reacts to Belgium’s late concession (Fox)
Whether Lammens could have remained focused in those circumstances remains questionable, but Garcia had planned Belgium’s unconventional path to the quarter-finals by taking unorthodox risks — substituting key players like Kevin De Bruyne and Jeremy Doku when trailing 2-0 to Senegal in the last 32 and winning 3-2 — and he wasn’t going to stop now.
It was a cruel twist of fate that Lammens made the decisive mistake, given his reputation at Old Trafford for reliability.
Many Manchester United goalkeepers have faltered under the pressure of one of the world’s biggest clubs, but Lammens, who rose from obscurity at Royal Antwerp, remained a steady presence amid the chaos many Premier League keepers faced from long throws and set pieces.
Courtois embraced his teammate on the pitch at full-time.
“Of course I gave Senne a big hug,” Courtois said. “I can’t do more than that. For a goalkeeper, this is a tough feeling. But he is a very good one, so he will grow out of this. He is a strong guy with a strong mentality. I have no doubt about his season ahead with Manchester.”
Courtois, 34, was part of the golden generation of Belgian players who elevated the nation to unprecedented heights in FIFA rankings. Though they never won gold, they were seen as the world’s top team for some time.
Courtois cannot hold back the tears (Eric Verhoeven/Soccrates/Getty Images)
With the 35-year-old De Bruyne, who also came off injured just before Spain scored their winner, and Romelu Lukaku, 33, in the twilight of their international careers — given their injury history, it’s hard to imagine they will play on for another four years like Messi or Ronaldo — the fading embers of that generation may have flickered for the last time in Los Angeles.
Despite what occurred here, Lammens is clearly a key part of the next generation. So is the impressive 21-year-old left-back Joaquin Seys (of Club Brugge), who came on and improbably contained Lamine Yamal for the final 30 minutes. Charles De Ketelaere scored his third goal in two matches, Doku can win games single-handedly, and Nathan Ngoy (a 23-year-old centre-back with Lille) had a standout tournament.
Garcia gathered the squad for a post-match huddle in the center circle and animatedly told them they had faced Spain head-on and tried everything to win.
“We were beaten tonight because many things went against us,” Garcia said. “When you lose your captain and goalkeeper, who happens to be one of the best in the world, and are forced to substitute De Bruyne, not reaching extra time is tough.”
“Fate wasn’t on our side. To go far, you also need luck. But I am proud of our players and our World Cup. We are leaving with our heads held high. I hope I have made the country dream,” Garcia said. “Unfortunately, the stars weren’t aligned.”
