Thibaut Courtois reveals he wanted to PLAY ON before being subbed off for Lammens who lost Belgium World Cup match

THIBAUT COURTOIS was fit enough to carry on playing for Belgium against Spain before his substitution cost them the game. The former Chelsea ‘stopper was hooked on 71 minutes when it seemed a quad or thigh injury was making goal kicks impossible. The 34-year-old broke down in tears as he exited the pitch and, with just two minutes left, replacement Senne Lammens fluffed his only line and allowed Mikel Merino to score the late winner. In the post-match mix-zone Courtois explained that only kicks were a problem and – if a team-mate could have helped out – he could have carried on blocking Spain shots. He explained: “I feel sad, I was feeling good, I felt like I could stop Spain. “I took a goal kick and I felt a lot of pain in my quadriceps. read more on the world cup “I informed the coaching staff that I felt pain when taking long goal kicks, I had no problem with staying in goal though. “In the end the manager decided to take me off, this is no problem as the team goes above everything.” “Senne Lammens is a fantastic goalkeeper with a bright future. This moment will make him stronger.” Courtois refused to blame Man United ‘keeper Lammens or manager Rudi Garcia. But ruthless Sweden legend Zlatan Ibrahimovic slammed the manager for sending Lammens on instead of 20-year-old Chelsea-owned back-up Mike Penders. Ibra growled: “I’m putting that loss, and that mistake, directly on the Belgium coach. “That was a decision that cost them the game. “How do you take Courtois off and bring on Lammens from Manchester United, when you have Penders sitting right there on the bench? “Is it just because Lammens plays for Man United and Penders was at Strasbourg? “That can’t be how you pick a goalkeeper for your national team. “Look at what happened right after. That mistake from Lammens is what allowed Merino to score the winner for Spain. “One wrong call in goal, and the whole match flipped. “Lammens is not a good enough goalkeeper at this level. He’s overrated. “Penders is the better keeper, and everyone could see it. “It’s embarrassing. Shame on the head coach, and shame on the Belgian goalkeeping coach for getting that so wrong.” World Cup 2026 - all the info But the likes of France, Spain and Argentina are all serious contenders to go all the way. Heavyweights Germany, Netherlands, Brazil and Portugal have all been knocked out. LATEST NEWS - England vs Norway delay fears with ‘heat illness’ warnings and Saharan dust - Kylian Mbappe injury fears as France star forced off with issue - Marc Guehi could miss England vs Norway with hamstring injury - Inside Haaland’s romance with model girlfriend KEY INFO - World Cup 2026 full match schedule including kick-off times - World Cup 2026 full squads - World Cup 2026 rule changes - World Cup 2026 prize money VIDEO - Proper Football Daily: Get all the expert analysis each morning - Team Talk – Tactics Exposed: Dive into the tactical talking points TIPS AND BETTING TICKETS If you click a link in this article, we will earn affiliate revenue.