Courtois Returns to Belgium Squad for Nations League Playoff

Goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois has been named in Belgium’s 26-man squad for their upcoming UEFA Nations League playoff tie against Ukraine, marking his return to the national team after a nearly two-year absence. The recall follows a dispute with former coach Domenico Tedesco over the captaincy in June 2023, which led to Courtois missing the 2024 European Championship.

The squad announcement is the first for new Belgium manager Rudi Garcia, who replaced Tedesco in January. Garcia’s appointment seemingly paved the way for Courtois’s return.

The 32-year-old Real Madrid goalkeeper, who has 102 caps for Belgium, is now considered a candidate for the captaincy, along with Kevin De Bruyne and Romelu Lukaku. Garcia stated, “We’re starting with a blank slate. I won’t see the players until Monday, but we’ll talk to the leaders again about what happened. But after that, I’m not going to keep dwelling on what happened years ago. Otherwise, we won’t make any progress… Kevin, Romelu (Lukaku) and Thibaut are definitely candidates. We will see next week who the leaders are.”

Courtois’s return has not been universally welcomed. Koen Casteels, who had been Belgium’s first-choice goalkeeper in Courtois’s absence, announced his retirement from international football last Sunday, criticizing the decision to accept Courtois’s return and suggesting other players were also unhappy with Courtois’s past behavior.

The full Belgium squad is as follows:

• Goalkeepers: Thibaut Courtois (Real Madrid), Senne Lammens (Royal Antwerp), Matz Sels (Nottingham Forest), Maarten Vandevoordt (RB Leipzig)

• Defenders: Timothy Castagne (Fulham), Zeno Debast (Sporting Lisbon), Maxim De Cuyper (Club Brugge), Koni De Winter (Genoa), Wout Faes (Leicester City), Brandon Mechele (Club Brugge), Thomas Meunier (Lille), Arthur Theate (Eintracht Frankfurt)

• Midfielders: Kevin De Bruyne (Manchester City), Bryan Heynen (Racing Genk), Jorthy Mokio (Ajax Amsterdam), Nicolas Raskin (Rangers), Youri Tielemans (Aston Villa), Hans Vanaken (Club Brugge)

• Forwards: Charles De Ketelaere (Atalanta), Jeremy Doku (Manchester City), Malick Fofana (Olympique Lyonnais), Romelu Lukaku (Napoli), Dodi Lukebakio (Sevilla), Lois Openda (RB Leipzig), Alexis Saelemaekers (AS Roma), Leandro Trossard (Arsenal).

Belgium will face Ukraine in a two-legged playoff. The first leg will be played in Murcia, Spain, next Thursday, with the return leg in Genk on March 23rd. The squad selection and Courtois’s return mark a new chapter for the Belgian national team under Garcia’s leadership.