Rudi Garcia faces Belgian backlash for taking Courtois off in World Cup loss to Spain
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30'
Goal Fabian RUIZ (Spain) scores!!
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41'
Goal Charles DE KETELAERE (Belgium) scores!!
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43'
Yellow card Pau CUBARSI (Spain) is booked by
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85'
Yellow card Kevin DE BRUYNE (Belgium) is booked
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88'
Goal Mikel MERINO (Spain) scores!!
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90'+3'
Yellow card Aymeric LAPORTE (Spain) is booked by
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90'+5'
Yellow card Axel WITSEL (Belgium) is booked by
Spain squad
- Selected
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8 Fabian RUIZ Midfielder
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10 Dani OLMO Forward
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12 Pedro PORRO Defender
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14 Aymeric LAPORTE Defender
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15 Alex BAENA Midfielder
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16 RODRI C Midfielder
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19 Lamine YAMAL Forward
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21 Mikel OYARZABAL Forward
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22 Pau CUBARSI Defender
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23 Unai SIMON Goalkeeper
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24 Marc CUCURELLA Defender
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1 David RAYA Goalkeeper
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2 Marc PUBILL Defender
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3 Alex GRIMALDO Defender
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4 Eric GARCIA Defender
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5 Marcos LLORENTE Defender
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6 Mikel MERINO Midfielder
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7 Ferran TORRES Forward
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9 GAVI Midfielder
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11 Yeremy PINO Forward
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13 Joan GARCIA Goalkeeper
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17 Nico WILLIAMS Forward
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18 Martin ZUBIMENDI Midfielder
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20 PEDRI Midfielder
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25 Victor MUNOZ Forward
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26 Borja IGLESIAS Forward
Belgium squad
- Selected
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1 Thibaut COURTOIS Goalkeeper
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4 Brandon MECHELE Defender
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5 Maxim DE CUYPER Defender
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7 Kevin DE BRUYNE C Midfielder
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10 Leandro TROSSARD Forward
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11 Jeremy DOKU Forward
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17 Charles DE KETELAERE Forward
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20 Hans VANAKEN Midfielder
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21 Timothy CASTAGNE Defender
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23 Nicolas RASKIN Midfielder
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25 Nathan NGOY Defender
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3 Arthur THEATE Defender
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6 Axel WITSEL Midfielder
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9 Romelu LUKAKU Forward
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12 Senne LAMMENS Goalkeeper
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13 Mike PENDERS Goalkeeper
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14 Dodi LUKEBAKIO Forward
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15 Thomas MEUNIER Defender
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16 Koni DE WINTER Defender
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18 Joaquin SEYS Defender
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19 Diego MOREIRA Midfielder
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22 Alexis SAELEMAEKERS Midfielder
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26 Matias FERNANDEZ-PARDO Forward
- Full squad
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2 Zeno DEBAST Defender
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8 Youri TIELEMANS Midfielder
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24 Amadou ONANA Midfielder
Belgium coach Rudi Garcia has come under heavy criticism after substituting his injured first-choice goalkeeper, Thibaut Courtois, during the team's 2-1 World Cup quarter-final defeat by Spain on Friday. Although Courtois felt able to continue despite a leg twinge, Garcia withdrew him on the grounds that he was not fully fit, and the replacement keeper's error proved decisive. The decision has intensified questions about Garcia's future, with his contract due to be reviewed before it expires at the end of the month.
Senne Lammens came on after 71 minutes but spilt a low strike from Pau Cubarsí, allowing substitute Mikel Merino to score the winner in the 86th minute. Garcia defended his call, saying only players who are 100% physically fit are permitted to play and that he had no regrets, while Belgian commentator Peter Vandenbempt branded the move "astonishing". The 62-year-old Frenchman, appointed at the start of 2025, has a record of 12 wins, six draws and two defeats in 20 internationals, having met his targets of Nations League survival, World Cup qualification and reaching the last eight. Federation officials must now decide whether he is the right man to lead the side towards the 2028 Euros.
In short
- Garcia criticised for substituting fit-to-continue Courtois in World Cup quarter-final.
- Replacement Lammens's error let Spain win 2-1.
- Garcia's contract review, due this month, now under scrutiny.
Steelman: both sides, in good faith
The strongest fair case each way — we don't pick a winner.
The case for
Garcia was justified in prioritising player welfare by benching a partially injured Courtois. A goalkeeper below full fitness risks both re-injury and costly errors, and maintaining strict fitness standards during elite competition is a manager's responsibility. The replacement's mistake was unfortunate but unpredictable; the substitution properly protected the player whilst upholding professional standards.
The case against
In a World Cup quarter-final, Garcia should have trusted Courtois's own assessment and the goalkeeper's world-class experience. Removing your best keeper in a finely balanced match prioritised abstract principle over concrete reality; the sudden personnel change evidently unsettled the side, and the resulting error suggests this was tactically misguided when Belgium could still have won.
Explained simply
Rudi Garcia is Belgium's coach, appointed at the start of 2025. The 62-year-old Frenchman was hired to guide the team through World Cup qualification and towards the 2028 European Championship. Thibaut Courtois is Belgium's first-choice goalkeeper and one of their key players, having established himself as a top-level keeper at Real Madrid and internationally.
Belgium reached the World Cup quarter-finals to face Spain on Friday. During the match, Courtois suffered a leg twinge but indicated he could continue, yet Garcia withdrew him in the 71st minute because he believed goalkeepers must be fully fit to play. Senne Lammens came on as replacement.
The substitution proved consequential. In the 86th minute, Lammens spilt a low shot, and Mikel Merino scored the rebound to give Spain a 2-1 victory. The decision to withdraw Courtois has sparked fierce criticism in Belgium, with observers questioning whether Garcia made the right choice at such a crucial stage of the tournament.
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