Courtois to take another break from Belgium national team
Belgian goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois says he will skip the entire upcoming Nations League campaign, planning to return only in September 2027 ahead of Euro 2028 qualifying. The decision follows new coach Marc van Bommel indicating he can no longer guarantee Courtois a starting spot.
Real Madrid goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois, 34, has announced he is stepping away from the Belgium national team for an extended period. The news was reported Wednesday, citing the newspaper "Het Laatste Nieuws," according to LETA.
Courtois said he will not take part in any matches of the upcoming Nations League tournament. He added, however, that he could still be called up in exceptional circumstances, should the head coach face serious injury problems among his other goalkeepers.
Break until 2027
Courtois said he intends to return to the national team in September 2027, when qualification for Euro 2028 begins. Belgium will open its new Nations League season on September 25 with an away match against Italy — the first official game under new head coach Marc van Bommel.
Competition in goal
The decision follows van Bommel's earlier statement that he could not guarantee Courtois a starting goalkeeper role. In the upcoming matches, Belgium's goal will be defended by Manchester United's Senne Lammens and Chelsea's Mike Penders.
Courtois made his national team debut in 2011 and has since played 115 matches for Belgium. He missed last year's Euro 2024 finals due to injury and a conflict with then-head coach Domenico Tedesco, but returned as the team's first-choice goalkeeper at this year's World Cup under Rudi Garcia.
