When Belgium dropped points in their opener against Egypt there were whispers. They grew to murmurs after a subsequent scoreless draw with IR Iran, and in the build-up to a suddenly decisive section-settler with New Zealand the criticism was growing louder.
Speaking exclusively to FIFA in the wake of an eye-catching 5-1 unpicking of the All Whites that saw his nation top Group G, Thibaut Courtois admitted the team was aware of that outside noise.
“We knew [there was some criticism], it's logical. We drew against Egypt, not playing our best game. Then we had to win against Iran and we missed too many chances, so that was an area where we struggled a bit. That meant obviously the last game was all or nothing.”
“I think we answered well, and now obviously with the next game we'll see who we play and then hopefully that will be a good game.
“It’s logical though that there's criticism. That’s football and that’s how it should be, because there's a lot of expectations from Belgium so we're fine with it.”
If those external expectations are rising with the Red Devils now comfortably through to the knockout stage, Courtois was surprisingly frank in looking to tone them down.
When asked whether he felt the team was capable of going all the way to the New York New Jersey decider in a little over three weeks, the suggestion seemed almost perplexing.
“No, I don't think so [that we can win the World Cup], we have to be realistic. I think we're far from being a contender at this moment. I think only when you reach the semi-final you can talk about maybe winning it. Otherwise, it's not possible.
“Internally for us, I think if we reach the quarter-finals, [we have] a nice shot and then everything is possible in football. But we will go game-by-game. I don't think we have the same quality as in 2018, but we have a very good team.”
Given that most players coming off the back of a comprehensive, group-deciding, victory are eternally optimistic, Courtois’ assumption of the underdog tag for a team that sits inside the top ten of the , is certainly note-worthy.
Whether one of his nation’s greatest servants was looking to still the external noise or find some kind of pressure equilibrium is hard to tell.
He was though keen to stress that he’s not writing off Belgium’s chances altogether, just that they’ll need, in his estimation, plenty to break their way to make a deep tournament run.
“Eventually in football, one game decides [things], everything can happen. I feel we can play any team in the world and I'm sure we can give them a good game.
“If we have enough to win, I don't know, time will tell. But at this moment, we stay calm and we go game-by-game. I think if we reach the quarter-finals, it will be very nice and then we can face the likes of Spain, so let's see.”
One thing that doesn’t need further inspection is the individual mark that the Real Madrid star set on a chilly Vancouver evening, as he made his 18th World Cup appearance. That saw him eclipse Enzo Scifo to become his nation’s most-capped player at the global finals.
If the team goes on a deeper run than Courtois suggests is possible, then the 34-year-old could further extend a mark that, as he tells FIFA, fills him with pride.
“I’m very proud, obviously. I don’t think I’ll catch Jan Vertonghen or Romelu [Lukaku] in terms of overall caps, so to have the most in World Cup history at the moment is something very special.
“Within the team we feel good, and hopefully we can go as far as possible. But now it starts.”
Sources: FIFA Official
