Some World Cup exits come with a whimper. Belgium’s came with tears, a torn thigh, and a goalkeeping howler that will haunt Senne Lammens for years. Spain are through to the semifinals after a 2-1 thriller in Inglewood, but the story of the night belonged to the man who never even saw the winning goal go in — because he was already in the dressing room, grieving what might be his last act in a Belgium shirt.
Ruiz Draws First Blood, De Ketelaere Answers
Spain, still yet to concede a single goal at this World Cup, looked in total control when Fabián Ruiz curled Spain ahead in the 30th minute.
But Belgium, who’d already lost Youri Tielemans to a warm-up injury before kickoff, weren’t done making history of their own. Charles De Ketelaere leveled things up in the 41st minute — the first goal Spain had conceded in the entire tournament. For a moment, it looked like Belgium’s scrappy, patched-together side might actually pull off the upset.
Then Courtois Went Down
Here’s where the night turned. Thibaut Courtois — 34 years old, 115 caps deep, playing what could be his final World Cup match for Belgium — felt something tighten in his thigh on a long goal kick early in the second half. He pushed through it, made a couple more saves, tried a second long kick… and knew immediately it was over. “You need to be careful,” he admitted afterward, describing the exact moment the pain told him his tournament was done.
He was subbed off in the 71st minute for Senne Lammens, the Manchester United keeper making just his third international appearance. Courtois didn’t storm off. He didn’t argue with coach Rudi Garcia’s decision. He simply walked to the bench in tears, embraced by his manager, knowing there was nothing left to do but watch.
“For me personally, obviously you are not happy when you have to leave a quarter-final of a World Cup,” Courtois said. Then, in the classiest possible way, he turned his attention to the kid replacing him: “He’s a great goalkeeper and he will only get stronger from this.”
The Cruelest Ending
Seventeen minutes later, Lammens’ World Cup turned into a nightmare. Pau Cubarsí fired a shot from range that Lammens simply couldn’t hold — the ball squirmed loose right into the path of Mikel Merino, who needed no second invitation. 88th minute. 2-1. Game over. Spain into the semifinals to face France on July 14, in a rematch of two of the tournament’s genuine heavyweights.
Courtois, watching from the bench with his leg wrapped, could only give his young understudy a hug. “There’s not much more I can do at this moment,” he said. It’s the kind of moment that either breaks a young goalkeeper’s confidence for years — or forges him into someone who never fears a big stage again.
What This Means Going Forward
For Spain, this is redemption on a grand scale: their first semifinal appearance since they lifted the trophy back in 2010.
For Belgium, it’s the end of a golden generation’s long goodbye, with Courtois’s Belgium future now a genuine question mark. Sometimes World Cups aren’t decided by the best team — they’re decided by one bad bounce, on one bad night, for one very unlucky goalkeeper.
Man of the Match: Lamine Yamal
