Thibaut Courtois Reveals How Long He Wants to Play for Real Madrid

At 34 years old, Thibaut Courtois is not thinking about retirement. Quite the opposite.

The Real Madrid goalkeeper has reached a stage of his career where he is beginning to manage his workload differently, but that does not mean he is preparing to walk away anytime soon. After deciding that he will not play in the upcoming Nations League with Belgium, the goalkeeper has now revealed that he can still see himself playing for another five or six seasons.

“I want to keep playing for another five or six years,” Courtois said in an interview with Forbes.

If he fulfills that goal, the Belgian could remain between the posts until he is 39 or even 40 years old.

Real Madrid Wants Courtois to Remain Its Goalkeeper

The Belgian’s comments also come at an important moment regarding his future with Real Madrid.

Courtois is under contract until 2027, and both sides are working to extend his deal for another season, through June 2028. The club continues to consider the goalkeeper a key player, while he also wants to remain in Madrid.

His career at the club explains that confidence.

Since arriving in 2018, Courtois has made more than 300 appearances for Real Madrid and has won, among other trophies, two Champions League titles, three LaLiga titles and three Club World Cups. His performance against Liverpool in the 2022 Champions League final remains one of the defining matches of his career.

A potential extension through 2028, therefore, might not be his final professional contract if he truly intends to continue playing for another five or six years.

AFC Champions League Elite

Cristiano Ronaldo Could Leave Al-Nassr in 2027

His Absence From Belgium Does Not Mean International Retirement

The decision to skip the upcoming Nations League also fits with his intention to extend his career.

Courtois spoke with Mark van Bommel and decided not to participate in the competition in order to better manage his physical workload. However, the goalkeeper made it clear that he has not retired from Belgium and intends to return for the qualifiers for Euro 2028.

He also knows that his place will no longer be guaranteed.

“I want to fight for my place. I want to prove that I can become the starting goalkeeper again,” Courtois explained when discussing his eventual return to the national team.

Courtois Is Already Thinking About Developing the Goalkeeper of the Future

Although retirement still appears to be some distance away, the Belgian is beginning to imagine what could come next.

Becoming a first-team coach does not appear to appeal to him too much. Instead, Courtois admitted that he is much more interested in developing young goalkeepers and creating an elite-level academy.

“I still haven’t decided what I will do when I retire. I don’t know if being a first-team coach is really for me: dealing with so many players every day could make me age very quickly. I would like to create a top-level academy to develop the next Thibaut Courtois, rather than waiting until you have to buy him,” the goalkeeper explained.

That idea could even keep him connected to Real Madrid, a club where he has become one of the most important players of recent years.

For now, however, that project can wait.

Between a potential contract extension with Real Madrid, his intention to return with Belgium and his desire to play for another five or six seasons, Courtois has made it clear that he still sees his final match as a long way off.