{"success":true,"data":{"id":"eb37afc6-d24e-4ea8-9726-e62c05f9caa9","title":"Thibaut Courtois reveals cause of thigh injury in cruel Belgium loss against Spain","summary":"Stay up to date with notifications from The Independent Notifications can be managed in browser preferences. Not now Yes please US Edition Change Support Now × \"Clear search box\") Custom Search Sort by Relevance Date NewsNews World CupWorld Cup SportsSports CultureCulture LifestyleLifestyle MoneyMon...","content":"## Stay up to date with notifications from The Independent\n\nNotifications can be managed in browser preferences.\n\nNot now Yes please\n\nUS Edition Change\n\nSupport Now\n\n[×](javascript:void(0) \"Clear search box\")\n\nCustom Search\n\nSort by\n\nRelevance\n\nDate\n\n*   News[News](https://www.independent.co.uk/us)\n\n*   World Cup[World Cup](https://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football/world-cup)\n\n*   Sports[Sports](https://www.independent.co.uk/sport)\n\n*   Culture[Culture](https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment)\n\n*   Lifestyle[Lifestyle](https://www.independent.co.uk/life-style)\n\n*   Money[Money](https://www.independent.co.uk/us/money)\n\n*   Travel[Travel](https://www.independent.co.uk/us/travel)\n\n*   Premium[Premium](https://www.independent.co.uk/independentpremium)\n\nMore\n\nMore\n\n### Thank you for registering\n\nPlease refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged in Please refresh your browser to be logged in\n\n# Thibaut Courtois reveals cause of thigh injury in cruel Belgium loss against Spain\n\n## The Belgian goalkeeper was in tears as he was substituted, while No 2 Senne Lammens’ mistake sent Spain to the semis\n\n[Kieran Jackson](https://www.independent.co.uk/author/kieran-jackson)in Los Angeles Friday 10 July 2026 23:30 BST\n\n*   Copy link  \n*   Bookmark  \n*   [Comments](https://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football/thibaut-courtois-injury-latest-belgium-spain-world-cup-b3012993.html#comments-area)Go to comments  \n\n## Bookmark popover\n\nRemoved from bookmarks\n\nClose popover\n\nopen image in gallery\n\nThibaut Courtois sustained an injury in the second-half of Belgium’s loss to Spain(AP)\n\n### Your support helps us to tell the story\n\nFrom reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.\n\nAt such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.\n\nThe Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.\n\n**Your support makes all the difference.**\n\n[Thibaut Courtois](https://www.independent.co.uk/topic/thibaut-courtois) insists he could have continued in [Belgium](https://www.independent.co.uk/topic/belgium)’s defeat to [Spain](https://www.independent.co.uk/topic/spain) in the [World Cup 2026](https://www.independent.co.uk/topic/world-cup-2026) quarter-finals after the goalkeeper sustained a thigh injury in the second-half.\n\nCourtois was in tears after he was substituted in the 70th minute for [Senne Lammens](https://www.independent.co.uk/topic/senne-lammens), whose mistake in the dying minutes [led to Mikel Merino’s match-winner](https://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football/spain-belgium-result-score-world-cup-2026-lammens-merino-b3012970.html \"Inexplicable Lammens error costs Belgium as Spain’s Merino grabs match-winning mantle again\") and sends Belgium home.\n\nReal Madrid keeper Courtois was clutching his left thigh but admitted afterwards that he did not feel overly impacted by the injury, saying it was coach Rudi Garcia’s decision to make the change.\n\n“It was with a long kick at the beginning of the second half; I felt something near my muscle,” Courtois said in the post-match mixed zone.\n\n“I made some saves. I felt okay, so I continued. Then, I kicked it long again and I felt it a bit more. So then, you know it's something muscular, and you need to be careful.\n\nRecommended\n\n“Obviously, I wanted to continue but the coach wanted someone 100%. So OK, it's his decision. I wanted to try to play maybe five, 10 more minutes to see because I was feeling good. I was making saves and I was not disturbed to make those saves.\n\n“I was only disturbed to kick long. So that's a decision of the coach – and it's not a problem.”\n\nCourtois also backed his fellow keeper Lammens after the error in the final minutes, insisting the Man Utd stopper has a “strong personality.”\n\nCourtois watched on as Spain nicked a late win(Reuters)\n\n“I gave him a big hug – there’s not much more I can do at this moment,” he said. “He's a great goalkeeper and he will only get stronger from this, he has a lot of personality.\n\n“For me personally, obviously you are not happy when you have to leave a quarter-final of a World Cup. So we will rest for the next few weeks and then see what the injury is.”\n\nSpain next take on France in a titanic all-European clash in the semi-finals in Dallas on Tuesday in a repeat of the Euro 2024 semi-final, which Spain won 2-1.\n\n### More about\n\n## Join our commenting forum\n\nJoin thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies\n\nPromoted stories\n\n[](https://www.walkergrey.com/products/the-last-summer-shorts-you-ll-ever-want-to-wear)[Men Can’t Get Enough of These Summer Shorts Breathable summer shorts that deliver all-day comfort, effortless style, and the fit men keep coming back to.Walkergrey | [Sponsored](https://popup.taboola.com/en/?template=colorbox&utm_source=eslmedia-theindependent&utm_medium=referral&utm_content=thumbs-feed-01-rd:Below%20Article%20Thumbnails%20|%20Card%201:)[Sponsored](https://popup.taboola.com/en/?template=colorbox&utm_source=eslmedia-theindependent&utm_medium=referral&utm_content=thumbs-feed-01-rd:Below%20Article%20Thumbnails%20|%20Card%201:) Shop Now](https://www.walkergrey.com/products/the-last-summer-shorts-you-ll-ever-want-to-wear \"Men Can’t Get Enough of These Summer Shorts\")","source_name":"The Independent","source_url":"https://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football/thibaut-courtois-injury-latest-belgium-spain-world-cup-b3012993.html","url":"https://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football/thibaut-courtois-injury-latest-belgium-spain-world-cup-b3012993.html","author":"Kieran Jackson","author_name":"Kieran Jackson","published_at":"2026-07-10T22:30:51.000Z","publication_date":"2026-07-10T22:30:51.000Z","image_url":"https://static.independent.co.uk/2026/07/10/23/download..","category":"sport","topic":"sport","tags":[],"political_bias":null,"bias_score":null,"confidence_score":null,"credibility_score":null,"factual_quality":null,"reading_time":4,"word_count":748,"view_count":0,"breaking":false,"breaking_news":false,"ai_analysis":null,"fact_check_status":"unverified","archive_status":"hot"}}