Real Madrid’s Thibaut Courtois has hinted that he could be open to representing his national team ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup. The Belgian goalkeeper has stayed away from his national team setup following a fallout with coach Domenico Tedesco.
In June 2023, Tedesco handed the armband to Romelu Lukaku in Kevin De Bruyne’s absence. The decision irked Courtois, who left the training camp, further straining his relationship with the manager.
Courtois has appeared 102 times for his country in his career and has been one of their most important players. However, he was not part of the squad for Euro 2024 as part of the ongoing rift.
Meanwhile, the 32-year-old has been very successful with Real Madrid, registering 104 clean sheets from 256 appearances to date. It now appears that he could also return to the national team fold in the coming months, especially with the World Cup around the corner.
However, speaking to CNN (as cited by Mundo Deportivo), Courtois acknowledged that the process won’t be easy.
Courtois’ contract at the Santiago Bernabeu runs until 2026 and he is yet to sign an extension.
Thibaut Courtois joined Real Madrid from Chelsea in the summer of 2018 and has been a huge hit at the Santiago Bernabeu so far. The Belgian has won 12 trophies with Los Blancos and has been vital to their recent success.
Courtois has won the league thrice and the Champions League on two occasions. He has won the Spanish Supercup, the UEFA Super Cup, Copa del Rey, FIFA Club World Cup, and FIFA Intercontinental Cup.
The player suffered an ACL injury in the summer of 2023, before returning to full fitness at the end of the campaign. He has appeared 20 times across competitions this season for the LaLiga giants, registering seven clean sheets.
Real Madrid remain on the hunt for multiple trophies this season. They are second in the league table after 18 games, a point behind leaders Atletico Madrid. Meanwhile, Carlo Ancelotti’s team are 20th on the Champions League table after six games, with three wins and three defeats to their name so far.
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