No longer a secret: national coach reveals Courtois' return

The last doubts surrounding Thibaut Courtois’ future with the Belgian national team have now been put to rest.

After the goalkeeper himself confirmed earlier this week that he would make himself available for selection again, newly appointed Belgium head coach Rudi Garcia has now publicly confirmed that Courtois will be included in the provisional squad for the upcoming international window. That provisional list will be fully revealed later this weekend, but Garcia wasted no time in making clear that the Real Madrid goalkeeper will be part of his plans.

Garcia, who only took charge of the Red Devils in January 2025, made it a personal priority to visit Courtois in Madrid shortly after taking the job. That face-to-face conversation was seen as crucial in repairing the fractured relationship between the player and the national setup. Speaking to L’Équipe, Garcia made his feelings clear: "For me, Thibaut has always been the best goalkeeper in the world. But at the same time, I want to stress that Belgium is fortunate to have excellent goalkeepers, with Matz Sels and Koen Casteels also available. There’s no shortage of quality in that position."

The timing of Courtois’ return is significant, with Belgium facing a pivotal pair of Nations League matches against Ukraine on March 20 and March 23. These are not just routine fixtures Belgium are at serious risk of relegation from League A, a potential embarrassment for a team that, not so long ago, was considered among the best in the world. On March 14, Garcia will announce his final squad for those games, and Courtois is now certain to be among the names called up.

The Courtois saga has been one of the most extraordinary and polarizing stories in Belgian football history. It all began in June 2023, when Courtois abruptly left Belgium’s training camp ahead of a European Championship qualifier against Estonia. The trigger was a dispute over the captaincy. With regular captain Kevin De Bruyne injured, the armband went to Romelu Lukaku for a match against Austria, despite Courtois believing he would be the natural choice. The goalkeeper felt disrespected, and when he was told he would captain the team against Estonia, it was already too late  his bags were packed, and he was gone.

What followed was a public war of words between Courtois and then-coach Domenico Tedesco. Courtois accused Tedesco of betraying his trust by speaking openly to the media about the situation, while Tedesco expressed his disappointment over Courtois’ behavior. The goalkeeper added fuel to the fire by also citing a knee injury as a contributing factor, although many saw that as an excuse rather than the real reason for his sudden exit.

By August 2023, Courtois took an even more drastic step, announcing that he would refuse to play for Belgium for as long as Tedesco remained in charge. It was a shocking stance from one of the team’s most important players, and it plunged the Belgian camp into a prolonged period of tension and uncertainty.

The controversy surrounding Courtois wasn’t just about the captaincy itself it became a symbol of deeper issues within Belgium’s so-called "Golden Generation." For years, Belgium boasted a squad filled with world-class talent, from De Bruyne and Eden Hazard to Courtois and Lukaku. Yet, despite all that talent, the team never managed to win a major trophy. Their best finish came at the 2018 World Cup, where they secured third place after losing to eventual champions France in the semifinals.

In December 2024, Courtois gave a brutally honest assessment of what went wrong with that generation. Speaking at the prestigious Globe Soccer Awards, the goalkeeper said: "The truth is, in Belgium, we never really had that winning culture you find at the biggest clubs. At Real Madrid, you are expected to win every match, every trophy, every year no excuses. That mentality just didn’t exist in the national team. We’ll see what happens in the future, but to really compete at the highest level, Belgium needs to embrace that mindset."

Just a month later, in January 2025, the Belgian FA took action, sacking Tedesco after a string of disappointing results and lingering tensions within the squad. Rudi Garcia, an experienced coach who had previously led the likes of Napoli, Marseille, Lyon, and Roma, was brought in to steady the ship. One of his first phone calls was to Courtois. That outreach marked the beginning of the goalkeeper’s return a process that accelerated when Garcia flew to Madrid to meet Courtois in person. It was clear that both men wanted to move on from the past and work together to get Belgium back on track.

Now, with the drama seemingly behind them, Belgium can finally look ahead with some optimism at least in terms of their goalkeeping situation. Courtois, when fit and motivated, is still widely regarded as one of the best, if not the best, goalkeepers in the world. His shot-stopping, command of the area, and ability to deliver in big moments have been proven time and again, particularly during Real Madrid’s 2022 Champions League triumph, where Courtois was arguably the club’s most important player.

But while Courtois’ return is a boost on the pitch, it also raises questions about the leadership dynamics within the squad. Will Courtois be considered for the captaincy again? How will his relationship with senior players like Lukaku and De Bruyne evolve after the very public falling out? And perhaps most importantly, will the Belgian dressing room finally find the unity that has so often been missing in the past?

Garcia’s ability to manage those delicate dynamics could be just as important as his tactical approach. For all his experience, this is the first time Garcia has managed a national team and it’s a team with plenty of scars and baggage. Reintegrating Courtois is only part of the challenge; rebuilding trust, fostering a winning mentality, and getting results will ultimately define whether his tenure is successful.

For now, though, Belgium fans can at least breathe a sigh of relief that one of their generational talents is back in the fold. Courtois’ quality is undeniable, and if Belgium are to avoid relegation from the Nations League’s top tier and build towards a successful World Cup 2026 campaign, they will need their best players on board.

As for Courtois, his return offers a chance to write a new chapter one where his legacy is defined not by controversies and conflicts, but by performances and, perhaps, long-overdue success with his national team. For a goalkeeper who has won it all at club level, national glory remains one of the final pieces missing from his glittering career. Whether Belgium can finally deliver on their potential remains to be seen, but with Courtois back between the posts, they have at least taken a step in the right direction.