Thibaut Courtois reaches 100 Champions League matches and pauses Belgium career

Real Madrid goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois has reached a significant milestone, making his 100th appearance in the UEFA Champions League during a 2-1 victory over Inter Milan. He is the first Belgian player to achieve this feat and only the eighth goalkeeper in the competition's history to reach 100 matches.

Following the match, Courtois announced that he will take a break from the Belgium national team for the upcoming UEFA Nations League campaign. The 34-year-old stated he intends to rest to manage his physical and mental workload, though he remains available for exceptional injury-related call-ups. He confirmed his intention to return for the Euro 2028 qualifying matches.

This decision follows discussions with Belgium's new head coach, Mark van Bommel, who noted he could not guarantee Courtois a starting position if other goalkeepers perform well during his absence. Potential replacements for the national team include Senne Lammens of Manchester United and Mike Penders of Chelsea.