World Cup: Courtois defends Lammens after Manchester United goalie howler eliminates Belgium
By Luke Oluoch, July 11, 2026Thibaut Courtois has come out in defense of his national team understudy, Senne Lammens, following the youngster’s costly howler against Spain in their World Cup clash on Friday, July 10, 2026.
The Manchester United custodian made a handling error in the 88th minute, spilling a shot from Pau Cubarsí and allowing Arsenal’s Mikel Merino to pounce on the loose ball to score, sending Spain through to the semi-finals.
Following the match, the Real Madrid goalkeeper quickly leapt to Lammens’ defense.
“It is true that the field was very dry, and I believe he was already handling the ball with his hands when it arrived, but by bad luck, it slipped. That is football for you; we should not bash the boy. I think he is a great goalkeeper. He has had a great season at Manchester United, and he is going to continue being a great goalkeeper. It is a shame for him because he doesn’t deserve it,” Courtois said.
Wanted to play on
The Los Blancos shot-stopper also revealed that he intended to play through the pain of a muscle injury, but the coach preferred to field someone at 100% fitness, prompting the change.
“I felt a lot of pain in my quadriceps. I could still stay in goal, but long kicks were the problem,” Courtois explained. “In the end, the coach decided to substitute me. The team comes above everything. I feel very sad. I feel like I could have stopped Spain.”
Italy legend and World Cup winner Gianluigi Buffon is among the prominent goalkeepers who have waded into the discussion surrounding Lammens’ error.
Buffon on Lammens’ error
Buffon stated that while Lammens was expected to make a routine save from the shot, it was also a massive ask to rely on a budding Premier League keeper with zero prior experience at such a high-stakes level.
“As goalkeepers, we are always expected to make those saves, so naturally he’ll feel he could have done better. But football isn’t as simple as watching one replay and saying, ‘He should have caught it.’ I looked at the bigger picture. Senne had not played a single minute in this World Cup, and suddenly he’s asked to replace Thibaut Courtois, arguably the best goalkeeper in the world, in Belgium’s biggest match of the tournament. That’s an enormous responsibility,” Buffon said.
He also expressed deep empathy for the young keeper: “I saw a young goalkeeper dealing with one of the toughest situations imaginable under incredible pressure. These moments hurt, but they’re also how goalkeepers grow. Every great goalkeeper has made mistakes. The important thing is whether you learn from them and come back stronger.”