World Cup 2026 · 2026-07-09

Courtois Says Belgium Can Be the Surprise — Spain's Perfect Knockout Record Says Otherwise

Ahead of Friday's quarter-final at SoFi Stadium, Belgium goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois backed his side to cause an upset against Spain — a team with 35 consecutive unbeaten matches and zero goals conceded in the knockout rounds.

Belgium arrive at the quarter-finals on the back of their most complete performance of the tournament — four goals past the United States, Charles De Ketelaere with a brace, Romelu Lukaku finishing the rout in stoppage time in Seattle. When you put a night like that into the bracket at this stage, you carry real momentum. Thibaut Courtois has been feeding that into Belgium's pre-match message ahead of Friday's clash with Spain in Los Angeles.

Belgium's goalkeeper — Real Madrid's first choice and one of the most experienced stoppers still in this competition — told reporters that his side are capable of being the tournament's upset story at this stage. Courtois has been in a World Cup quarter-final before, in 2018, when Belgium came within one game of a final. He is also 32 years old and aware that for the golden generation he represents, the opportunity to go further than a third-place finish is running short.

Spain are the obstacle. Their 35-game unbeaten record under Luis de la Fuente is a tournament-defining statistic. Equally striking is their knockout record: zero goals conceded since the elimination rounds began. They beat Austria 3-0 in the Round of 32, then Portugal 1-0 in the last 16 — a tightly contested match decided by a single Mikel Merino strike. Belgium need to find the goal. Spain have been refusing to give them to opponents in this round.

The players that make Belgium dangerous are real. Kevin De Bruyne at 34 is still the most complete midfielder remaining in this competition — the player with the vision and range to unlock almost any defensive structure. De Ketelaere's form has carried their attack since the group stage. Courtois behind them is a genuine force. The case for Belgium being that surprise is built on quality and belief, not wishful thinking. Spain's record is the counter-argument. One of them gives way at SoFi Stadium on Friday.

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