Courtois: I may retire from Belgium national team after World Cup

Ahead of the first FIFA World Cup group stage match against Egypt, Real Madrid goalkeeper Courtois attended a press conference and answered questions. Below is a transcript of his remarks.

I'm from The Seattle Times. Max Anchor (Seattle Sounders FC goalkeeper, Belgium national team sparring partner) has joined you. What have you learned from him? How do you help someone who wasn't originally part of the team integrate and feel like part of the team when they join?

No, ultimately we will help him and welcome him. I think our team is like a big family, and it always has been. He's a good person, willing to learn, and always doing his best. The players are also impressed with his performance because he's made many good saves. So he is indeed very talented, and I believe he will soon be playing for Seattle as well.

As a leader, how important is it for this team to get off to a good start in the first game?

Of course, it's very important. I think in big tournaments like this, the first game is often crucial. Because winning the first match gives you a good feeling to move forward, and everything goes more smoothly. Of course, the final result is the most important. Just like in Qatar, we also won our first game. The first match doesn't necessarily decide everything, but a good start is indeed important, especially against Egypt, which I consider one of the strongest teams we will face. So, yes, winning is very important.

Yesterday, some teammates expressed concerns about the weather conditions for the upcoming match, while others said they weren't worried. What are your thoughts on the high temperatures and climate conditions? How concerned are you?

I'm quite lucky because I live in Spain. When training in the summer, sometimes the temperature reaches 40 degrees Celsius, so I'm used to it. Last year at the FIFA World Cup, we played on the East Coast of the United States, in Miami, Charlotte, and New York. Some games kicked off at 3 PM, and the weather was very hot then. So I don't think it will have any serious impact on our health.

I am more concerned about the quality of the game. If the weather is too hot, the pace of the game will naturally slow down. Perhaps the humidity here isn't as high, but for example, when we played in New York, Charlotte, and Miami before, the humidity was very high, and it was really difficult to maintain a high level of performance in those conditions. So for me, the bigger issue is the team's playing style. Perhaps you can't play at your preferred, fastest pace. But that's also part of playing football in the summer.

The hydration breaks during the match are very helpful for us to rehydrate in time. Ultimately, it's up to us to adapt to the environment. In Los Angeles, we played in an enclosed stadium, so it was easier. Here, we went from around 14 degrees Celsius to possibly close to 30 degrees Celsius on Monday. That's how it is.

It's been a year since you last represented Belgium in a major international tournament like this. How eager are you to participate in this FIFA World Cup? Why do you feel this way?

Very eager. The FIFA World Cup is always a very special moment. Of course, the 2022 FIFA World Cup was not the most ideal memory. But I can feel that everyone in this team is very eager to play a great tournament. I myself am also very much looking forward to it. I feel good, so I'm very excited for the matches to start.

Of course, it's the FIFA World Cup now, but I still want to ask about what comes next. Lukaku and De Bruyne have said they will definitely stay with the national team. Have you made your decision yet?

I don't know if now is the time to discuss this. But I think, for me, the possibility of not continuing is perhaps greater than the possibility of continuing.

So when will you make a final decision?

I'm 34 now. You start to feel that small injuries are occurring more and more frequently. If you don't play for the national team, you get some extra rest time, and if you continue to play, you don't have that time. Of course, that makes a difference. But let's wait until after this tournament to see how things are. But one thing is true, I still want to play for a few more years. Of course, to do that, sometimes you also have to consider your physical condition.

Continuing with the previous topic. We saw your save against Modrić's shot when we played against Croatia. Many people feel that your current form might even be better than ever before. How do you maintain this level throughout the FIFA World Cup? Also, now the FIFA World Cup has expanded to 48 teams, with a total of 104 matches. If you reach the semi-finals, you will play at least 8 matches. Do you think there will be too many matches?

I feel really good now. Of course, I was unlucky before, tearing part of a tendon against Manchester City. That was a blow to me because I truly felt like I was in particularly good form then, almost invincible. So that was indeed regrettable. Later, I put in a lot of effort to come back. I also took an additional two weeks to recover so I could be ready for the Clásico, and also didn't want to take any risks for the FIFA World Cup.

Now I feel good, and I have indeed put in a lot of work. As for how to maintain the level, ultimately it comes down to focus, motivation, and a good feeling in training. You have to build your own confidence, and then hopefully those saves will happen naturally in the game. Because sometimes you feel good, but those saves just don't come. That's also part of the job. However, overall, it's certainly good to feel this way.

One more question. It's very far from home here, a 10-hour flight. Family and friends coming here also have to consider visas, travel, and other issues. Have some relatives and friends who would have come ultimately decided not to come due to the long distance?

My family will all come. Because this might be my last FIFA World Cup, everyone ultimately wants to be here. However, my two oldest children might not be able to come. My daughter trains artistic gymnastics at a high level in Spain, so I think it's highly likely she won't be able to make it. Nico also has a competition next weekend in Lanzarote, so he might only be able to come for the third match or later.

What do you think about the clean sheet record being discussed on social media?

I saw those things on social media. If I can stay healthy and continue to play enough games, I think I have a chance to break that record. I remember I still need a few more clean sheets to tie it, so we'll see what happens next.

Do you hope to play for Real Madrid for the rest of your career? If I'm not mistaken, your contract is until 2027. Are renewal discussions already underway?

At Real Madrid, there's a principle that con.tracts for players over 30 are usually renewed year by year. So I'm actually very calm. If I continue to perform as I am now, that won't be a problem. Ideally, of course, I hope to end my career at Real Madrid. But Real Madrid is, after all, a top club, and one day they will also have to consider the issue of succession. So ultimately, it depends on what the club decides. But if I can retire at Real Madrid, that would certainly be the ideal outcome.

How surprised were you that there wasn't a single Real Madrid player in the Spanish national team squad? Is this a topic in the Real Madrid locker room?

I don't know if they announced the squad before the last match. I think it should have been announced after the last match. By then, we had stopped training. Everyone, of course, knew that that might be the only chance for Heuysen to be selected. I was a bit surprised by this. However, ultimately the national team coach has the right to choose his own players. There were similar unexpected situations in England as well. But in the Madrid media, this was indeed a hot topic