Thibaut Courtois may have only been half joking about his son Nicolas.
The Belgium shot stopper faces the country where he’s lived for much of his adult life – Spain – in the World Cup quarter-finals.
Courtois has spent 12 years in Madrid, first with Atletico and now Real, and his son was even born in the country.
In fact, son Nicolas even plays for Real Madrid’s under 9s, with his father at the first team.
It’s been reported that Nicolas supports his birthplace rather than his father’s country, and Courtois sent him a jokey warning in his pre-match press conference.
Courtois sends jokey warning to his son
“I’m going to face my second country,” he said.
“My son will support Belgium, otherwise he won’t even come home (laughs).
“No seriously, I’m very happy that we have the opportunity to face Spain in the quarterfinals.”
Courtois will likely be the key player against the match favourites, and former teammate Eden Hazard is confident he can do it.
Asked about the No.1 by MARCA, he said: “Courtois is the best.
“I had the opportunity to play with him, and he had the opportunity to play with me. Dibu Martínez is a very good goalkeeper, but Courtois has class.
“He’s the best goalkeeper in the world, and he’s proven it several times in the most important moments.
“He’s tall, has incredible reflexes, and is also excellent with the ball at his feet. Don’t forget that it was thanks to him that we beat Japan in 2018.”
Spain vs Belgium ticketing issues
Before kick-off it was reported that prices for the quarter final in Los Angeles have plummeted by 60%.
Forbes claim the successive eliminations of the United States and Portugal are the main cause of the decrease, with World Cup interest suffering a blow as a result.
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