After a two-year absence due to a conflict with former head coach Domenico Tedesco, Thibaut Courtois is officially returning to the Belgian national team under the leadership of newly appointed head coach Rudi Garcia.
Following a prolonged period away from the national team due to internal disagreements, Courtois has now confirmed his return for Belgium’s training camp in March. This decision comes immediately after Rudi Garcia took over as head coach, replacing Domenico Tedesco—the man at the heart of Courtois’ discontent.
The last time the Real Madrid goalkeeper played for Belgium was in 2023 before stepping away from the team due to disagreements with Tedesco. The conflict originated when Courtois was overlooked for the captain’s armband in a UEFA Euro 2024 qualifier, despite Kevin De Bruyne being sidelined with an injury. Instead, Tedesco handed the armband to Romelu Lukaku, a decision that left Courtois feeling disrespected.
Following the incident, Courtois announced his withdrawal from the national team, making it clear that he would not return as long as Tedesco remained in charge. He emphasized:
“After what happened with the coach and after much reflection, I have decided not to return to the national team while he is in charge. I take responsibility for my decision, but I simply cannot trust him.”
In November 2024, Belgian FA CEO Peter Willems personally traveled to Madrid in an attempt to persuade Courtois to reconsider. However, the 1992-born goalkeeper stood firm, rejecting all proposals to rejoin the team under Tedesco’s tenure.
It wasn’t until Rudi Garcia took over in January 2025 that Courtois began to reconsider his stance. Following a private meeting with the new head coach in Madrid, he agreed to make his return to international duty.
In an interview with L’Équipe, Rudi Garcia officially confirmed the long-awaited news:
“Thibaut Courtois will return to the national team. This is fantastic news for all of Belgium. I have always regarded Thibaut as the best goalkeeper in the world, but we also have other excellent options like Matz Sels and Koen Casteels.”
Garcia also revealed that he had met with other key figures in the squad, including Kevin De Bruyne, Jeremy Doku, and Axel Witsel, signaling his intent to build strong team cohesion from the very start of his tenure.
Despite being 33 years old, Courtois remains one of the world’s top goalkeepers. Since making his debut for Belgium in 2011, he has earned 102 caps, with his most notable achievement being Belgium’s third-place finish at the 2018 FIFA World Cup.
Belgium is set to face Ukraine in two crucial UEFA Nations League matches on March 20 and 23. Courtois’ return is expected to significantly bolster the team’s defensive stability as they prepare for these key fixtures.