Belgium goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois was forced to watch from the bench as his team was defeated by Spain in the World Cup quarterfinals.
Courtois was subbed off with an injury in the second half, and his side ultimately fell to a 1-0 loss with just two minutes remaining. The match winner came in the 88th minute, when Spain's Mikel Merino capitalized on a mistake by Belgium goalkeeper Lammens to find the net from close range.
With the loss, Belgium's hopes of advancing to the World Cup final were dashed, but Courtois remains confident in the abilities of the Spanish team.
Speaking after the match, Courtois called the Spain-France semifinal a "de facto final" and tipped the Spaniards to emerge victorious, potentially going on to win their second World Cup title.
Courtois praised his own team's performance, saying that they had given Spain a "good game" and put up a stronger fight than expected.
He also reflected on Belgium's run to the quarterfinals, citing the team's excellent collective spirit and immense talent up front.
Courtois added that he has not made any decisions regarding his international future, but hinted that he may take a break from the national team after the World Cup.
