Career: football player, goalkeeper, athlete
Date of Birth: May 11 1992
Age: 31 years
Place of birth: Bray, Belgique
Height: 199
Family situation: not married
Welcome to the official homepage of the great footballer's fan site Thibaut Courtois !
Here you will find everything you need to know about Thibaut Courtois, one of the leading goalkeepers in modern football. With this website, we aim to offer you a unique opportunity to learn more about his career, achievements and football style of play. On our website, you can read a detailed biography of Thibaut Courtois, from his beginnings to the present day. Discover how he started his professional career, played for major European clubs and became one of the leading players in his position.
We also provide detailed information about Thibaut Courtois' achievements at club level. Find out about his titles, notable performances and important moments in his career. You will also find statistics showing his contribution to the teams he played for and his influence on the outcome of matches.
On the Gallery page you can enjoy photographs of Thibaut Courtois in various situations, as well as watch videos of his best saves and moments on the football pitch. We regularly update our website to ensure you always stay up to date with the latest news about Thibaut Courtois. From transfer rumors to big games and personal achievements, we have the latest news, articles and interviews related to this talented goalkeeper.
We hope that our fan site will be a source of information and inspiration for all Thibaut Courtois fans. Join us to follow his career and share his passion for football with other fans.
Thibaut was born in the Belgian town of Bre into the family of semi-professional volleyball players Lambert and Thierry Courtois. From an early age, his parents instilled in him a love of sports: they took him to gymnastics classes, accompanied him to volleyball matches and taught him how to handle a ball. At the age of 5, young Thibaut suddenly expressed a desire to play football, so his mother and father enrolled him in the academy of the club "Bilzen", where his day was scheduled down to the minute. However, Thibaut's passion for football was considered a whim by his parents, as he did not particularly excel in it. "Nature created a boy for volleyball," his father joked. In addition, the boy seemed to attract accidents. Not a month would go by without Thibaut ending up in hospital: whether it was a broken ankle, a dislocated finger or a head injury following an accidental collision with a chair.
At first, his first coaches did not agree with his father's opinion: they saw potential in the calm and serious boy, noting his good reflexes. Compared to his peers, Thibaut seems older, powerful and strong, a real goalkeeper. However, they have not yet placed him in front of the goal. Friends and cousins, with whom Courtois often played football in the yard of his parents' house, did not want to see him as a goalkeeper either: if he stood in the goal, it was impossible to score a goal. Together with his brother, the boys from the neighborhood and the nephews of the Belgian tennis star Kim Clijsters, Thibaut Courtois created a YouTube channel called YardBrooz (backyard brothers). The kids shared their best goals scored in backyard games online.
When the future goalkeeper was eight years old, the family moved to Genk. Here, Thibaut joined the youth team of the local club and played as an outfield player until the age of 12. His parents insisted that their son not be tied to a specific position. Eventually, he found his rightful place and, in his very first tournament in his new role, he was awarded the title of best goalkeeper. As Thibaut grew, the coaches began to doubt his ability to progress beyond the youth team, as he was rather clumsy, although determined and hard-working. There was a point when the club even considered parting ways with the aspiring footballer, but Courtois proved that experienced coaches can make mistakes.
Thibaut Courtois' breakthrough in the world of football came in 2009. At just 16 years old, Genk's head coach Pierre Denier took a risk and put him on the list of goalkeepers. Essentially, Courtois was lucky because the team was facing a goalkeeper shortage at that time: two were injured and another was disqualified. In his first year, the young player did not get the chance to step on the pitch. However, in the 2010/2011 season, Courtois was named first-choice goalkeeper. In a match against Inter Turku in the preliminary round of the UEFA Europa League, Genk won. In late summer 2010, Courtois signed his first professional contract, officially starting his career.
It turned out to be a successful season for the club as Courtois, as part of the team, won the Belgian championship. In the decisive match against Standard Liege, he saved the goal in the last three minutes of extra time. The young footballer received many awards: he was named player of the year in his hometown club and best goalkeeper in the Pro League. Renowned European clubs such as Tottenham and Chelsea began to compete for the goalkeeper's signature. Meanwhile, Genk was reluctant to let go of their beloved goalkeeper. However, Courtois decided to continue his career and chose Tottenham over Chelsea. The transfer fee was £5 million. Thibaut Courtois club transfers were not easy. Genk was reluctant to let him go, so the goalkeeper had to resort to extreme measures, such as skipping training and even not showing up for a match against Lyon. However, a new contract was eventually agreed upon, which benefited the Belgian club, and they agreed to part ways with Courtois.
Shortly after signing the contract, Courtois was loaned to Atletico Madrid from Chelsea. He spent three years there, wearing the number 13 jersey (inherited from David de Gea). He had a brilliant start with Atletico, keeping a clean sheet in his debut match and saving all possible shots. During his time at Atletico, Courtois and the team won several titles, including the national championship, the UEFA Europa League in 2012, the UEFA Super Cup, and the Copa del Rey. After returning to Chelsea, the goalkeeper helped the London club win the Premier League twice, as well as the Football League Cup and the FA Cup. In the spring of 2018, Courtois became the subject of numerous memes after a match against Barcelona in the UEFA Champions League. Barcelona scored three goals, two of which were by Lionel Messi, and Courtois conceded them between his legs. Despite this, Courtois played 35 matches that season and kept 15 clean sheets. With one year remaining on his contract with Chelsea, Courtois received an attractive offer from Real Madrid, which was motivated by his desire to be closer to his family in Madrid. He informed Chelsea of his intention through his agent and avoided meetings with the coach. Eventually, Maurizio Sarri had to give in, and Courtois signed a six-year contract with Real Madrid in the summer of 2018. His annual salary was €7 million, and the replacement cost for Chelsea was €80 million for Kepa Arrizabalaga.
Courtois had a shaky start in his debut match for Real Madrid, conceding a goal against Leganes. His performances in that season were average, which affected the team’s success. However, in the 2019/2020 season, Real Madrid won the Spanish league championship and triumphed in the Spanish Super Cup. In September 2021, during the group stage of the UEFA Champions League, Real Madrid played against Inter Milan. The match ended with a narrow 1-0 victory for Real Madrid, with Courtois playing a crucial role in securing the win. He was recognized as the best player of the match by the sports publication Goal. In December 2021, Courtois celebrated his 150th appearance for Real Madrid in a match against Real Sociedad in La Liga, which ended in a 2-0 victory for Real Madrid. He was later named in the FIFA 22 Team of the Week, with a rating of 90. In January 2022, Real Madrid emerged victorious in the final of the Spanish Super Cup against Atletico Madrid. Courtois played a key role by saving a penalty kick, helping his team secure the first-place finish. Courtois also successfully saved a penalty kick from Messi in the UEFA Champions League Round of 16. He analyzed Messi’s previous penalties and correctly anticipated that Messi would shoot to the left corner. Courtois was named the best player of the match after the semifinal victory against Manchester City. In the final, Real Madrid faced Liverpool in a battle for first place. Courtois acknowledged Liverpool’s strengths but also noted that anything could happen on the field to surprise the fans.
Thibaut Courtois was called up to the Belgian national team in 2011 and became the youngest goalkeeper in the history of the national team. In his debut match, they faced France, and the game ended in a draw. Courtois represented his native country in the 2018 FIFA World Cup held in Russia. Belgium defeated Tunisia, England, and Japan, advancing to the quarter-finals. They faced Brazil in the next round and won 2-1. In the semi-finals, Belgium competed against France and lost but finished the tournament as the third-place team, earning a bronze medal. Courtois was awarded the title of the best goalkeeper of the World Cup. During Euro 2020, Courtois was one of the few goalkeepers who showcased successful saves, including a notable one that prevented a goal from Portugal in the round of 16, thanks to which Thorgan Hazard scored the only goal of the match.
To the surprise of Courtois and those close to him, he was not included in the list of nominees for the best goalkeeper of the 2020/2021 season. The player himself considered it a response to his critical remarks about the decisions made by UEFA and FIFA regarding an increase in the number of matches. In November 2022, Courtois joined the Belgian national team for the World Cup in Qatar. Media reports, citing L’Equipe, mentioned that there was a somewhat negative atmosphere within the team, with conflicts arising among players, including Courtois and De Bruyne. To address these issues, a « crisis meeting » was even organized. Belgium failed to advance from the group stage in the tournament, and Courtois apologized to all the supporters for the team’s performance.
At the beginning of 2023, Courtois was among the top three nominees for the FIFA Best Goalkeeper award. However, the award ultimately went to Emiliano Martinez. In the spring, Courtois suffered from gastroenteritis, which caused him to miss some matches. He was not fully prepared for the crucial Champions League match against Manchester City. He entered the field with a torn triceps and his team lost 0-4.
In June, a scandal erupted when Courtois left the Belgian national team camp due to the words and actions of their head coach, Domenico Tedesco. Tedesco did not appoint Courtois as team captain. In August, Courtois ruptured his cruciate ligament during training. The injury was serious and he underwent surgery, which required a long time to recover. Courtois did not return to individual training until January 2024. However, a few weeks later, he suffered a new injury. He was diagnosed with a torn meniscus in his right knee, which required another operation. Recovery would take another two months.