Belgian Thibaut Courtois, Real Madrid goalkeeper, threatened to retire from international football after Belgium's elimination from the 2026 World Cup against Spain.

Courtois was injured minutes before Belgium conceded the losing goal against Spain, losing 2-1 on Friday at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles in the World Cup quarterfinal.

Courtois said in statements reported by Spanish newspaper Marca after the match: "We will see what happens regarding my future with the national team."

He explained: "Maybe I want to take a break from the Nations League, which is not important, before returning to participate in the European Championship qualifiers."

He concluded: "This decision must be made with the Belgian Football Federation, and either they agree, or this match (against Spain) was my last."

Courtois has a decorated career with Belgium, especially in the World Cup, where he is the second most capped goalkeeper in the tournament's history with 21 matches, just two behind German Manuel Neuer.