Thibaut Courtois has backed Senne Lammens to bounce back from the mistake that saw Belgium crash out of the World Cup at the hands of Spain.Lammens replaced Courtois with just under 20 minutes of the quarterfinal remaining after Real Madrid’s No. 1 felt pain in his quadricep muscle when clearing the ball up field.It was Lammens’ first minutes at the World Cup and his introduction came at a time when Spain was looking to avoid going to extra-time. La Roja had been pegged back by Charles De Ketalaere after Fabián Ruiz’s opener on the half-hour mark.But Manchester United’s signing of the season made an error he won’t forget in a hurry, parrying Pau Cubarsí’s low drive straight into the path of the on-rushing Mikel Merino. The Spanish super-sub did the rest, just as he did against Portugal in the round of 16, to book a semifinal date against France, who comfortably beat Morocco in the World Cup’s first quarterfinal on Thursday.Courtois: Not Much I Can Do for Lammens ... But He’ll Be FineLammens tried to dive at the feet of Merino but to no avail. | MB Media/Getty Images Courtois was in tears after leaving the pitch upon his substitution, and was consoled by his teammates in the immediate aftermath. Less than half an hour later, Lammens was the one needing a shoulder to cry on.“Senne, yeah I gave him a big hug, much more I cannot do,” Courtois said postgame. “For goalkeepers it's a s--- feeling.“He's a great goalkeeper and he’ll only get stronger from this, so it’s not a problem. Eventually you cannot say much more to him, much more advice. He’s a strong guy, a strong personality and I’m sure he’ll be fine. He’ll have a holidays, he’ll regroup, he'll go to Manchester and have a great season—I have no doubt about this.”Lammens' mistake was the exact opposite of the form he demonstrated in his first season at Old Trafford. The 24-year-old was making just his third appearance for the national team—a reflection of Courtois’ status on the roster after coming back into the fold in 2025—and he lacked the composure that saw him quickly become a fan favorite in Manchester, having replaced André Onana.Courtois to Consider International FutureThibaut Courtois may have played his last game for Belgium. | Jose Breton/Pics Action/NurPhoto/Getty ImagesIt might not be too long before Lammens is strapping on the gloves as Belgium’s first-choice goalkeeper. Courtois is heading into the later stages of his career and has struggled with serious injury over the past few years, meaning he may look to reduce his workload in order to get fit and prolong his career at Real Madrid.No decision has yet been made, with Courtois suggesting he could stick around until the European Championships in 2028—if the Belgian soccer federation want him to.“Ultimately, it’s something we need to discuss with the coach and [Belgium sporting director] Vincent Mannaert,” he said. “It might be good to take a break from the Nations League for a year—to find some breathing room in a hectic schedule—and then return for the qualifiers and potentially the Euros. But in the end, that’s a decision for the coach and the federation.“If they don’t see it that way, I’ll have to consider whether or not I can keep coming back. Otherwise, today might have been my last match.”READ THE LATEST WORLD CUP NEWS, ANALYSIS AND INSIGHT FROM SI FCAdd us as a preferred source on GoogleFollow