Thibaut Courtois revealed his intention to take a one-year break from the Belgian national team following their elimination by Spain in the quarterfinals of the 2026 World Cup26.

The 34-year-old goalkeeper wants to reduce his competitive workload and take an extended break from his duties with his country’s national team. His plan is to return for the European Championship qualifiers and compete in Euro 2028.

“I want to take a year off from playing for Belgium and then compete in the Euro qualifiers and at Euro 2028. I don’t know if Belgium will agree to that,” Courtois said.

His comments have reignited the debate surrounding his future with the national team. The Real Madrid goalkeeper had already been away from the Belgian national team for nearly two years, from 2023 to 2025, following his public disagreement with then-national team coach Domenico Tedesco over the issue of the captaincy.

This time, however, Courtois makes it clear that his desire to step away temporarily is not linked to any new conflict. His main goal is to rest and better manage his back-to-back commitments at the club and international levels.

The international goalkeeper also addressed his forced substitution during Belgium’s 2-1 loss to Spain. He revealed that he did not ask to be substituted, despite the intense pain he was feeling in his quadriceps.

“I felt a lot of pain in my quadriceps, but I had no problem staying in goal. The problem was only with long-range shots,” he explained.

During the water break, Courtois told Rudi García that he could continue, although he was unable to strike the ball hard or from a distance.

“I wanted to keep playing, but it’s true that I couldn’t kick the ball 80 meters. The coach told me that, since I wasn’t at 100%, he would substitute me. It was his decision. I didn’t ask to be taken out,” he emphasized.

He was replaced by Senne Lammens, who in the 88th minute failed to stop Pau Kubarshi’s shot. Mikel Merino capitalized on the loose ball and scored the goal that sent Spain to the semifinals.

Despite the unfortunate turn of events, Courtois refrained from placing blame on the coach or his teammate. After the match, he appeared particularly emotional and rushed to comfort Lamens.

“In the end, the coach decided to substitute me. There’s no problem, because the team comes first,” he emphasized.

*photo source: AR