*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 18:27, 4 June 2023 (UTC) ‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 16:00, 18 June 2023 (UTC)
Thibaut Nicolas Marc Courtois (born 11 May 1992) is a Belgian professional
footballer who plays as a
goalkeeper for
La Liga club
Real Madrid and the
Belgium national team. Regarded as one of the best goalkeepers in the world, he is known for his reflexes, acrobatic saves, and command of the penalty area.[4][5][6]
Courtois began his career with
Genk and made his senior debut in 2009, at age 16; he went on to establish himself as the club's starting goalkeeper and won the
Belgian Pro League. In 2011, Courtois signed for
Chelsea in a transfer worth a reported £8 million (€9 million), but then joined
Atlético Madrid on loan. At
Atlético, Courtois won a
La Liga title, the
Copa del Rey, the
Europa League, and reached the
UEFA Champions League final. He returned to Chelsea in 2014 and won two
Premier League titles and the
EFL Cup. In 2018, Courtois signed for Real Madrid in a deal worth a reported £35 million (€38.8 million), becoming La Liga's most expensive goalkeeper, and where he has gone on to win two La Liga titles and the
Champions League.
Courtois made his senior international debut for Belgium in 2011 at age 19, becoming their youngest senior international goalkeeper. He has since earned over 100 caps, ranking
seventh-highest for appearances, while he has appeared in five major tournaments. At the
2018 FIFA World Cup, Courtois won the
Golden Glove as the best goalkeeper as he helped Belgium finish third, their highest-ever finish at the competition.
Courtois was born in the city of
Bree in
Flanders, to a
Walloon father and a
Flemish mother.[7] He began his career with local side Bilzen V.V.,[8] as a
left back. Soon after, in 1999, he joined
Racing Genk at the age of seven, and it was there that he was converted into a
goalkeeper.
Courtois progressed through the
Genk youth system, where
Koen Casteels was initially regarded as the primary goalkeeper, but during an injury crisis Courtois, aged 16 years and 341 days, made his first team debut on 17 April 2009 against
Gent. After turning down a transfer to
TSG 1899 Hoffenheim of the
Bundesliga, Courtois was made first-choice goalkeeper for the 2010–11 season ahead of Casteels, when
Laszlo Koteles' registration ran into issues.[9]
He was a key figure in Genk's title victory in the
2010–11 season in the Belgian Pro League. He received the Goalkeeper of the Year and Genk's Player of the Year award, only conceding 32 goals over the course of 40 league matches and keeping 14
clean sheets for Genk.[10][11]
Atlético Madrid
In July 2011 Courtois joined
Premier League club
Chelsea for a reported €9 million, signing a five-year deal.[12][13] Within weeks of joining Chelsea, Courtois was sent on a season-long loan to
Atlético Madrid.[14]
Courtois' loan to Atlético was extended to cover the
2012–13 season.[24] His first game of the loan extension was against parent club Chelsea in the
2012 UEFA Super Cup in
Monaco, which ended in a 4–1 victory for Atlético Madrid. Later in the season Courtois set a new Atlético Madrid record of 820 minutes without conceding a goal at the
Estadio Vicente Calderon,[25] ended by being beaten in a 1–0 loss to
Real Sociedad.[26] Atlético reached the
2013 Copa del Rey Final, and Courtois was named
man of the match[27] in a 2–1 victory against Real, the first time that Atlético had beaten their city rivals in 14 years.
2013–14 season
For the
2013–14 season, Courtois' loan to Atlético was extended by a further 12 months.[28]
When Atlético were drawn to play Chelsea in the
Champions League semi-final, it was reported that a clause in Courtois' contract required Atlético to pay Chelsea €3 million per match if they selected him against his parent club, and that Atlético could not afford such a sum. UEFA made it clear that considerations of sporting integrity made such a clause "null, void and unenforceable", and confirmed that Atlético were free to select Courtois without making any such payment.[29][30]
By conceding the fewest goals in a substantial number of matches during the 2013–14 season, Courtois won the
Ricardo Zamora Trophy and made an important contribution to Atletico's 2013–14 La Liga title, their first since 1996. He was nominated for the La Liga Award for the best goalkeeper in the league, alongside
Willy Caballero of
Málaga and
Keylor Navas of
Levante, which Navas eventually won.[31] Atletico, however, lost the
UEFA Champions League final 1–4
a.e.t. against neighbours Real Madrid on 24 May in Lisbon.[32]
Chelsea
2014–15 season
In June 2014, Chelsea manager
José Mourinho confirmed that Courtois would return to Chelsea for the upcoming season.[33] He was assigned the number 13 shirt, last worn by
Victor Moses.[34] On 18 August, Mourinho announced that Courtois would start the Premier League opener against
Burnley in place of
Petr Čech. Although he conceded the first goal to
Scott Arfield at
Turf Moor, Chelsea won 3–1.[35] Courtois kept his first Premier League clean sheet in his second game, making several crucial saves in a 2–0 home win over
Leicester City.[36]
On 11 September 2014, Courtois signed a new five-year contract with Chelsea, keeping him at the club until 2019. Upon signing, Courtois said: "It’s really nice to have signed this new contract for five years."[37]
Courtois suffered a head injury in the first half of Chelsea's 2–0 home win over
Arsenal on 5 October due to a collision with
Alexis Sánchez; he was substituted and then taken to hospital.[38] He was treated for a minor cut to his ear and released from hospital that night.[39]
He won his first trophy with Chelsea on 1 March 2015, as they defeated
Tottenham Hotspur 2–0 in the
League Cup final, with Čech instead playing in that match;[40] Chelsea also finished the season as league champions.
2015–16 season
Courtois opened the season by playing in the
2015 FA Community Shield on 2 August, a 1–0 loss to Arsenal.[41] Six days later, as the Premier League campaign opened with a home fixture against
Swansea City, he was given a straight red card for conceding a penalty with a foul on
Bafétimbi Gomis, who converted the penalty past replacement
Asmir Begović for a 2–2 draw.[42] On his return on 23 August, Courtois saved a penalty from
James Morrison in a 3–2 win at
West Bromwich Albion.[43] Courtois suffered a leg injury in training on 11 September which required surgery and meant that he was expected to miss the next three months of competition.[44]
On 16 April, he was sent off at home to Manchester City for conceding a penalty with a foul on
Fernandinho;
Sergio Agüero converted it past Begović to seal a 3–0 win. He became the sixth Premier League goalkeeper to be sent off twice in the same season.[45]
2016–17 season
On 17 August 2016, Courtois dismissed any transfer rumours and stated he would stay at Chelsea for many years to come.[46] Ten days later in the 3–0 home victory over
Burnley, Courtois kept the first clean sheet of the season and broke a run of thirteen home Premier League games without a clean sheet since November 2015.[47] From 1 October to 20 November, Chelsea earned a run of six games without conceding a single goal; with Courtois playing in all six of them.[48][49] From 11 to 26 December, Courtois kept four clean sheets, as Chelsea were at the top of table in time for Christmas.[50]
In April 2017, Courtois was ruled out for the match against rivals
Manchester United, as a result of suffering a reported ankle injury, which he sustained in training.[51] Chelsea would go on to lose the match 0–2.[52] On 12 May 2017, Courtois kept his third consecutive clean sheet in a 1–0 away win over West Bromwich Albion, in which Chelsea secured the title.[53] Courtois also played for Chelsea in the
FA Cup final; which Chelsea lost 2–1 to Arsenal.[54]
Courtois kept a total of 16 clean sheets in the Premier League and won the
Golden Glove.[55]
Real Madrid
2018–2020
Following the 2017–18 season, Courtois mentioned he would want to live closer to his children, reigniting the rumours about a transfer to Real Madrid.[56][57] After a strong performance at the
2018 FIFA World Cup, where he won the Golden Glove for best goalkeeper, Courtois expressed his interest in moving on.[58][59] Chelsea stated they would not let him go unless they were able to find a replacement for him.[60] Courtois responded by not showing up for training after the summer break, trying to force his exit from Chelsea.[61] On 8 August 2018, Real Madrid announced that they had signed Courtois on a six-year contract.[62] A day later, Chelsea confirmed the transfer for a fee believed to be £35 million.[63][64]
He made his debut for Madrid on 1 September 2018, where he started in a 4–1 win over
Leganés.[65]
On 12 January 2020, Real Madrid beat Courtois' former club
Atlético Madrid in a penalty shootout to win their eleventh
Supercopa de España title.[66] In the shootout, Saul saw his spot-kick hit the post before Thomas' effort was saved by Courtois, giving Ramos the chance to secure Real's 11th Spanish Super Cup triumph.
On 5 July 2020, Courtois kept his 17th clean sheet of the
2019–20 La Liga season in a 1–0 away win over Athletic Bilbao, becoming the first Real Madrid goalkeeper to do so in a single season since
Francisco Buyo in
1994–95.[67] He was the undisputed starter during the league season, as Real Madrid won the La Liga,[68] becoming the first player since
José Luis Pérez-Payá in
1954 to be crowned champion with both Real Madrid and Atlético Madrid.[69] He won the Zamora Trophy for the third time in his career, after conceding just 20 goals in 34 matches.[70]
2021–present
On 16 August 2021, he signed a new four-year contract, running until 2026.[71] On 6 February 2022, he reached his 100th win with Real Madrid in 161 appearances, in a 1–0 victory over
Granada.[72] Courtois won his second Spanish title with Real Madrid in the
2021–22 La Liga season.
On 28 May 2022, Courtois was named
man of the match in the
2022 UEFA Champions League final, where he managed to make a total of nine saves,[73] which helped Real Madrid to beat
Liverpool 1–0.[74] Courtois' nine saves are a record in the final since
Opta began keeping records in
2003–04. His 59 saves during the campaign also set a new Champions League single-season record since Opta began keeping records.[75]
On 10 August 2023, Real Madrid announced that Courtois was diagnosed with a torn
anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee.[76][77] He was scheduled to undergo surgery in the coming days, and could be out for several months.[78] On 19 March 2024, Courtois got injured again during a training session, sustaining a meniscus tear in his right knee. The recovery timeline for the meniscus tear had been estimated to be around two months, effectively ruling Courtois out for the remainder of the
season.[79][80]
International career
Early career
Courtois was first called up to the
Belgium squad in October 2011[81][82] and made his debut the following month in a friendly 0–0 draw against
France at the
Stade de France, making him the youngest goalkeeper to play for the Belgian national team.[83][84][85]
On 13 May 2014, Courtois was named in the squad to go to the
2014 FIFA World Cup.[87] At the tournament, he played all five games of the Belgian team, starting with a 2–1 win against
Algeria in
Belo Horizonte.[88] Courtois then managed to keep consecutive clean sheets in 1–0 wins against
Russia and
South Korea as the Red Devils reached the quarter-finals, where Argentina eliminated Belgium with
Gonzalo Higuaín scoring the only goal of the match in the eighth minute.
Euro 2016
Courtois played every minute during Belgium's first eight games of their
UEFA Euro 2016 qualification campaign, helping seal qualification for the first time in 16 years. However, he missed their last two games due to injury.[89]
Courtois and his side made it to the quarter-final, where they lost to
Wales despite taking an early lead. Afterwards, Courtois hinted that Belgium coach
Marc Wilmots was at fault for the loss and also stated that the defeat was the "biggest disappointment" of his career.[90]
2018 World Cup
Courtois was selected to Belgium's
final 23-man squad for the
2018 FIFA World Cup.[91] He was Belgium's first-choice goalkeeper throughout the tournament, and played a key role in Belgium's 2–1 win over
Brazil in the
quarter-final, which saw Belgium advance to the
semi-finals of the tournament for the first time since
1986.[92][93] He posted two clean sheets in the group stage (against
Panama and
England), allowed only one goal in Belgium's loss to eventual champion
France in the semi-final, and posted another clean sheet against England in the 3rd place game. Courtois made 27 saves in seven World Cup games, more than any other goalkeeper.[94] He was awarded the
Golden Glove as best goalkeeper of the tournament.[95]
UEFA Euro 2020
On 17 May 2021, he was selected to the final squad for the
UEFA Euro 2020.[96]
2022 World Cup
In November 2022, he was named in the final squad for the
2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar.[97] On 1 December, he played his 100th match for Belgium in a goalless draw against
Croatia, becoming the first Belgian goalkeeper to achieve this feat.[98]
UEFA Euro 2024
Courtois played in two of Belgium's
qualifying matches for the
UEFA Euro 2024, however, following his torn
anterior cruciate ligament in August 2023, he was ruled out of action for numerous months and eventually announced he would not be part of Belgium's squad at the 2024 tournament.[99]
Style of play
Considered a highly promising prospect in his youth,[100] Courtois subsequently established himself as one of the best players in the world in his position.[101] Due to his wide range of skills, he has been described as a "complete goalkeeper", with few weaknesses.[100] A consistent keeper,[100] he possesses an excellent positional sense,[102][103] good mentality, composure, strength of character,[102][104][105] and an ability to communicate well with his defenders;[100] he also excels in one on one situations, due to his ability to time his runs effectively when rushing out of goal to face opponents,[100][103] and has even functioned as a
sweeper-keeper on occasion.[106] An excellent shot-stopper between the posts, he has also distinguished himself for his agility and quick reflexes, in spite of his size and imposing physique.[100][103][105][107][108] During the 2016–17 season, he credited his goalkeeping coach with Chelsea under manager
Antonio Conte,
Gianluca Spinelli, for helping him to improve his overall game and goalkeeping technique, in particular his foot-work and diving, which enabled him to be more explosive and get to ground more quickly.[109][110] Due to his height and reach, he excels in the air,[100][111] and is also known for his command of his area, as well as his excellent technique, anticipation, handling, and confidence when coming off his line to claim crosses.[112][113] Moreover, he is known for his ability to distribute the ball to his teammates with long throws.[114]
Outside football
Personal life
Courtois speaks both Dutch and French, as well as Spanish and English.[7] Thibaut's older sister
Valérie Courtois is a
volleyball player who plays as a
libero for Stade Français Paris Saint Cloud and
Belgium.[115] His parents were volleyball players, and he played the sport in his childhood but decided to focus on football when he was 12.[115]
On 26 May 2015, his Spanish girlfriend Marta Domínguez gave birth to their daughter, Adriana.[116] The couple ended their relationship in April 2017 while Domínguez was pregnant with their son Nicolás, who was born a month later.[117]
He has been in a relationship with Israeli model Mishel Gerzig since July 2021.[118][119] They adopted a dog together a month later.[120] In June 2022, they got engaged.[120] They got married a year later.[121]
In popular culture
Inspired by Courtois' pose from a particular save in January 2013, a Colombian fan created a new widespread social media meme called 'Thibauting' to pay homage to the Belgian goalkeeper.[122] In November 2013, the word was included in a shortlist composed by leading Dutch dictionary Van Dale to be polled to determine the best new sports/amusement word of the year in Belgium,[123] and ended second.[124] The term is based on and pronounced the same way as "
Tebowing", and is also similar to the worldwide '
planking' meme which was popular in 2011.
In 2021, Courtois participated in the 2021 F1 Virtual Grand Prix championship as an
Alfa Romeo driver.[125]
Controversies
In February 2014, Courtois caused some stir in the national team, by saying of
Simon Mignolet, his rival for the starting goalkeeper spot, "You have to know how to stay humble and respectful, and he should remember that."[126] This was despite the fact that in previous interviews, Mignolet had only said that it was his ambition to keep working and try to regain his spot in the national team.[127]
In April 2018, Wilmots, by then out of a job, accused Courtois and his father Thierry of leaking Belgium's line-ups before they should have been revealed to the public. He denied the allegations.[128][129]