Some World Cup moments remain unforgettable long after the tournament ends. Thibaut Courtois' save from Neymar in the final minute of Belgium's dramatic 2018 World Cup quarterfinal against Brazil is one of those moments.
Neymar's curling effort was heading toward the top corner and would have made it 2-2, sending the match into extra time. Courtois, using the full reach of his 6-foot-7 frame, pushed the ball over the crossbar. Brazil were eliminated, while Belgium went on to finish third, their best World Cup result in recent history.
Since then, many members of Belgium's famous golden generation have moved on. Eden Hazard retired in 2023. Jan Vertonghen made his final international appearance in 2024. Vincent Kompany has already established himself as one of Europe's leading coaches. However, three key figures from that highly regarded team, which was once ranked No. 1 in the FIFA rankings, will return for the 2026 World Cup: Kevin De Bruyne, Romelu Lukaku, and Courtois.
The closing stages of Courtois' international career have not been smooth. A dispute with then-Belgium coach Domenico Tedesco in 2023 began after Courtois was overlooked for the captaincy and responded by leaving the national team camp. The goalkeeper later boycotted the national team.
"My lack of confidence in [Tedesco] would not contribute to maintaining the necessary atmosphere of cordiality," Courtois wrote on social media in August 2024.
Five months later, however, Tedesco was dismissed. Under new head coach Rudi Garcia, Courtois returned to his familiar place between the posts for Belgium and is now preparing for his fourth World Cup appearance.