Belgium head coach Rudi Garcia said his team had nothing to be ashamed of despite their FIFA World Cup 2026 quarterfinal defeat against Spain, insisting the players could be proud of their campaign, according to The Athletic.
Garcia: Team learned from defeat
Speaking after Belgium's loss, Garcia said the team learned from the defeat and gained valuable experience from their World Cup journey.
"It was really simple -- that we could be proud of our World Cup. We learned through defeat. I don't think we've got anything to feel humiliated about," Garcia said after the match, as quoted by The Athletic.
Injuries disrupted Belgium's plans
Garcia also pointed to a series of setbacks during the game, including injuries to key players, which disrupted Belgium's plans against Spain.
"Unfortunately, the stars weren't aligned. We lost our keeper, our captain. We had to sub out Kevin De Bruyne and that wasn't part of the game plan. There were too many things. The ducks weren't in a row," he added, according to The Athletic.
Courtois substitution explained
Garcia defended his decision to substitute goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois during the clash against Spain, saying the move was made to protect the player from further injury. Courtois was forced off in the 71st minute after appearing to suffer an injury, with Senne Lammens replacing him.
"It's part and parcel of high-level sport. You need to be 100 per cent focused and able to perform. From the beginning of the World Cup I didn't want to have players who weren't 100 per cent, and that was the case for Thibaut," Garcia said after the match, as quoted by The Athletic.
"He was excellent across the board, especially with long balls. We didn't want his injury to get worse either. That's why I decided to sub him," he added.
Match recap: Spain edge Belgium
Fabian Ruiz, handed a surprise start ahead of Pedri, and substitute Mikel Merino scored for Spain, while Charles De Ketelaere found the net for Belgium. Ruiz opened the scoring after Courtois parried Dani Olmo's effort into his path. Belgium equalised just before halftime when Kevin De Bruyne released Timothy Castagne down the right, and the defender's pinpoint cross was headed home by De Ketelaere.
The goal ended Spain goalkeeper Unai Simon's remarkable run of 560 consecutive World Cup minutes without conceding, surpassing the previous tournament record of 517 minutes set by Italy's Walter Zenga in 1990.
Belgium suffered a major setback in the 71st minute when Courtois was forced off. Substitute goalkeeper Lammens was beaten soon after when he failed to hold Pau Cubarsi's long-range effort, allowing Merino to pounce on the rebound and score the winner.
Spain's unbeaten run continues
The victory extended Spain's unbeaten run to 36 matches since their defeat to Colombia, equalling Argentina's unbeaten streak between 2019 and 2022 and leaving them just one game short of Italy's world-record 37-match unbeaten run. Spain will now face France in a highly anticipated semifinal as they continue their bid for another FIFA World Cup title.
