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Thibaut Courtois has escaped a serious injury scare at the World Cup and is set to link up with his Real Madrid squad for preseason training as scheduled at the end of July.
Real Madrid supporters were left anxious when the 34-year-old was substituted after 71 minutes of Belgium's 2–1 World Cup quarterfinal loss to Spain, appearing to suffer a quad problem, and was subsequently spotted in tears on the sideline.
Courtois's replacement Senne Lammens was then culpable as Spain netted a late winner when Mikel Merino capitalised on the goalkeeper's spilled save.
With Courtois having already missed a large portion of Real Madrid's 2025–26 campaign—including the Champions League quarterfinal elimination against Bayern Munich—due to a comparable issue in the same leg, many Madrid supporters feared the shot-stopper could be facing yet another extended spell on the sidelines.
Ukrainian backup Andriy Lunin filled in for Courtois during his spring-time absence, but managed just one clean sheet across 12 outings.
Courtois Given All Clear in Madrid
Speaking in the immediate wake of the Spain defeat, Courtois downplayed injury concerns as he told reporters, "I felt significant pain in my quadriceps. But I had no issue staying in goal, only with long kicks.
"Ultimately the coach decided to bring me off. That's no problem as the team comes before everything."
The goalkeeper has since travelled back to Madrid for assessments, with MARCA among the outlets reporting that the player has avoided "any serious damage" to his quad, and concerns over a recurrence that would prevent Courtois from starting the new season between the posts have proven unfounded.
Having received the green light from Madrid's medical staff, Courtois will now enjoy a well-deserved break following his World Cup involvement before rejoining the squad at the end of July as part of a phased return programme for Real Madrid's international players.
Madrid Plan Talks Over New Contract
Meanwhile, Fabrizio Romano reports that Madrid intend to open contract renewal discussions with Courtois once this summer's transfer window has concluded. The goalkeeper is contracted until 2027, having penned a one-year extension last summer, but his long-term future at the club remains uncertain.
Despite being in the latter stages of his career, he continues to rank among the finest goalkeepers on the planet. Last month, he told the press that he hopes to remain at the Bernabéu for several more years to come.
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"I hope to be able to finish my career there. In four or five years, we'll see. It's my dream, obviously," he disclosed.
"When I was a child, I dreamed of playing for Real Madrid. I've been there for eight years now, and I'm very happy."