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Thibaut Courtois reveals the key to stopping Lamine Yamal ahead of Belgium vs Spain
Thibaut Courtois believes Belgium's hopes of reaching the FIFA World Cup 2026 semifinals will largely depend on finding a way to slow down Lamine Yamal.
Thibaut Courtois believes Belgium's hopes of reaching the FIFA World Cup 2026 semifinals will largely depend on finding a way to slow down Lamine Yamal.
The Real Madrid goalkeeper admitted Spain enters the quarterfinal as the favorite, but he also explained what he believes is the best approach to containing the Barcelona star.
Courtois explains how to defend Lamine Yamal
According to Courtois, the priority is to deny Lamine Yamal space and force him into difficult situations.
"Lamine is a star. He has incredible talent, he's very quick and very difficult to stop. The ideal approach is to stay close to him and try to create two-on-one situations whenever possible."
However, the Belgian goalkeeper warned that focusing exclusively on the teenage winger would be a mistake.
"We can't think only about Lamine because Spain has so many strengths. If you only try to stop one player, they'll hurt you somewhere else."
Spain enters as the favorite
Courtois also praised Luis de la Fuente's team, calling Spain one of the strongest sides in the tournament.
"Spain is the favorite, that's clear. When you've won the European Championship, you're naturally one of the favorites. Along with Argentina and France, I thought they were among the top contenders before the tournament, and they're proving it."
He also highlighted Spain's defensive consistency.
"They're playing very well, controlling the tempo of matches calmly and they still haven't conceded a goal. That says a lot about the confidence of the whole team and also about Unai Simón."
Belgium looks to exploit Spain's high line
Courtois believes Belgium's best chance will come by attacking the spaces Spain leaves behind when pressing high up the field.
"They defend very high and try to recover the ball quickly. We have to find those spaces behind them because our style of football is different."
The Real Madrid goalkeeper described the match as especially meaningful because of his long connection with Spanish football, having represented both Atlético Madrid and Real Madrid.
Belgium will now try to upset one of the tournament favorites and earn a place in the FIFA World Cup 2026 semifinals.
