Thibaut Courtois’ return to the Belgium squad continues to make waves forward of the worldwide break.
Actual Madrid’s No.1 is presently eighth on the all-time record of appearances for the Pink Devils with 102 caps forward of his comeback.
Courtois made the controversial choice to quickly step down from worldwide obligation in August 2024 following a high-profile dispute with former coach Domenico Tedesco.
Following the Belgian FA’s choice to sack Tedesco in the beginning of 2025, the door was reopened for Courtois, with new head coach Rudi Garcia open to a reconciliation.
Regardless of the furore surrounding the story, Courtois caught to his weapons on the difficulty, claiming he ‘was proper’ over the disagreement, however his mission to play on the 2026 FIFA World Cup is robust.
Garcia has recalled him to the panel, however there are rumours of a number of squad members being sad with the perceived favouritism, sparked by Koen Casteels’ remarks.
Casteels has stepped in as No.1 in Courtois’ absence, however he has now retired from worldwide soccer over the debacle, claiming the ‘pink carpet has been rolled out’ for the Los Blancos star.
Courtois will probably make his first look again within the fold in Spain, as Belgium tackle Ukraine in a UEFA Nations League playoff in impartial Murcia, and Garcia might boldly choose him as captain.
A brand new chapter begins. 🔱 pic.twitter.com/gKtaGg9EgS
— Belgian Pink Devils (@BelRedDevils) March 14, 2025
“We’re beginning with a clean slate. I gained’t see the gamers till Monday, however we’ll speak to the leaders once more about what occurred,” he stated on the squad announcement.
“However after that, I’m gained’t to maintain dwelling on what occurred. In any other case we gained’t make any progress.
“I’ve an concept in my head about that [the captaincy]. Kevin [De Bruyne}, Romelu [Lukaku] and Thibaut are all positively candidates. We are going to see subsequent week who the leaders are.”
De Bruyne changed Eden Hazard – who’s now Garcia’s assistant coach – as captain in 2022, which is rumoured to have fuelled Courtois’ preliminary row with Tedesco.