Thibaut Courtois has written his name into footballing folklore in both and , and he is poised to be one of the key figures for the Red Devils in Friday’s FIFA World Cup 2026™ against La Roja.
The Belgian goalkeeper has spent over a decade shining on the Spanish football scene. In 2011, he secured a move to Chelsea from boyhood club Genk and was promptly loaned to Atletico Madrid. He was back at Stamford Bridge ahead of the 2014/15 season before returning to the Spanish capital in 2018 to keep goal for Real Madrid.
Courtois joined Atleti at the tender age of 19, and his first coach in the Spanish top tier, Gregorio Manzano, said he was impressed by the fresh-faced custodian from the get-go. The erstwhile Andalusian tactician, who oversaw over 400 matches in his country’s top flight, commented: “We were looking for a young goalkeeper with potential, and he caught our eye. He had a commanding presence and was incredibly agile, with very quick reflexes despite his height.”
Manzano, Diego Simeone’s predecessor in the Atletico dugout, still has fond memories of Courtois’ debut: a 4-0 away victory over Vitoria Guimaraes in UEFA Europa League qualifying action. He also recalled an “astonishing” and “match-saving” stop in the group-stage fixture of the continent’s second-tier tournament against Celtic in Glasgow. Los Rojiblancos would go on to win the competition, overcoming Athletic Bilbao in the trophy decider thanks to a Radamel Falcao brace and a sublime solo run and finish from Diego Ribas, with Courtois playing a decisive role between the sticks.
In that first season with Atletico, Courtois clocked up 52 appearances – still the third-highest total of his glittering career – and accumulated more than 4,600 minutes, proving his undeniable star quality. “When he first arrived, he needed to work on areas of his game such as aerial duels and one-on-one situations, and he was a little weak with the ball at his feet. Over time, he has improved in that sense. That was the beginning of this long, successful and remarkable journey,” observed Manzano, who also spoke highly of Courtois’ personal qualities.
“His mindset is one of his fundamental qualities. He takes the approach that he can always improve; he has a champion’s mentality. Plenty of players have the physical attributes, but without mental strength, you won’t make it. He has managed to combine his physical and mental strengths, and that’s why he’s playing at the highest level.” Off the pitch, Manzano remembered him as being “a totally normal kid”, who kept himself to himself.
The former Genk goalie has revealed that his excellent hand-eye coordination came from playing volleyball as a child. The family home even had a volleyball court. Speaking at a press conference, he explained: “Just like my parents, I played volleyball. At seven, I joined Genk, where I began as a left-back, but because I’d played volleyball, I had the reflexes to get down and dive, and so I started going in goal.”
In 2012, during his time as a loan ranger with Los Colchoneros, the Genk academy graduate got one over on his parent club in the UEFA Super Cup final as the imperious Iberians swatted the Londoners aside in a 4-1 success. In the following year, he captured the Copa del Rey and etched his name into Spanish football history as the youngest-ever goalkeeper to land the Zamora Trophy, awarded to the glovesman with the lowest goals-against ratio in La Liga.
He retained his crown in 2014 as he had a big hand in helping Atletico claim their first Spanish title in nearly two decades. Buoyed by that domestic success, Atleti did battle with eternal foes Real Madrid for the UEFA Champions League crown but succumbed to a 4-1 defeat after extra time.
During the 2013/14 season, the Belgium-born shot-stopper shared goalkeeping duties on the red-and-white side of Madrid with Dani Aranzubia, who already had made some 300 La Liga appearances for Athletic Bilbao and Deportivo La Coruna and had represented Spain.
Aranzubia recalled: “I’d worked with many goalkeepers, including in the national-team set-up, but I’d never come across a goalie who was so tall and fast at the same time. I’d played with keepers who were far taller than me, but they lacked agility. He was way quicker than everyone else and also the tallest. He covered so much of the goal and was lightning quick between the sticks. He had extraordinary qualities.”
The pair’s paths had crossed in 2012 during the Trofeo Teresa Herrera, an annual pre-season friendly tournament hosted by Deportivo, in which the trophy decider between the home side and Atletico came down to penalties, with the Galician outfit ultimately prevailing 4-3. “As we walked towards the goal, I thought, ‘He’s enormous.’ He’s as tall as a basketball player, but his height is deceptive because he’s impressively fast and agile. He’s incredible. He’s been keeping the ball out of the net for years now, including making superhuman saves, the kind that decide matches.”
In the 2013/14 campaign, Atletico’s third-choice goalkeeper was Yassine Bounou, also known as Bono, who has been one of the standout performers in the Morocco side at the ongoing FIFA World Cup 2026™. Aranzubia, now working as a goalkeeping coach, said with a wide grin: “I was 34 at the time, while they were 21 or 22. They were both eager to learn, and we got along very well. Courtois had already established himself, while Bono was just starting to make his mark and prove his quality. Today, they’re two of the best goalkeepers in the world.”
Courtois returned to Chelsea ahead of the 2014/15 season, and in 2018, after helping secure third place at the World Cup on Russian soil, he sought pastures new and joined current employers Real Madrid. He turned out 154 times apiece for Atletico and Chelsea. He has now surpassed that mark for Los Blancos, having chalked up 333 appearances.
Meanwhile, he has been given the nod between the sticks on no fewer than 114 occasions for his country. His bulging trophy haul features a pair of UEFA Champions League titles, two Premier League crowns and four La Liga triumphs. However, perhaps most impressively of all, he has maintained his status as a world-class goalkeeper for the past 15 years.
Now featuring in his fourth FIFA World Cup as Belgium’s undisputed No1, Courtois is primed to take centre stage in Friday’s blockbuster bout between the nation that made him and the country that moulded him as Spain and Belgium prepare to square off in what promises to be a showstopping spectacle in Los Angeles.
Sources: FIFA Official
