Thibaut Courtois Becomes Third-Most Capped Goalkeeper In FIFA World Cup With 19 Appearances

Thibaut Courtois has added another milestone to his illustrious international career by becoming the third-highest goalkeeper in terms of appearances at the FIFA World Cup. The achievement also places Courtois among the most experienced goalkeepers in World Cup history.

With 19 appearances, he now ranks third all-time among goalkeepers, behind only Germany’s Manuel Neuer (23) and France’s Hugo Lloris (20). The landmark further cements the Real Madrid star’s status as one of the defining goalkeepers of his generation.
Courtois has been Belgium’s undisputed first-choice goalkeeper across four consecutive FIFA World Cups.

His journey began in Brazil in 2014, where he played all five of Belgium’s matches as the Red Devils reached the quarter-finals. He followed that with seven appearances at the 2018 World Cup in Russia, helping Belgium secure a historic third-place finish while winning the tournament’s prestigious Golden Glove award for the best goalkeeper.

At the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, Courtois featured in all three group-stage matches despite Belgium’s early exit. One of his standout moments came when he saved Alphonso Davies’ penalty against Canada, becoming the first Belgian goalkeeper since 1966 to stop a penalty at a World Cup.

His return for the 2026 tournament has been equally significant. After rejoining the national setup under head coach Rudi Garcia, Courtois started all three group-stage matches before making his record-breaking 19th appearance in the knockout stage against Senegal. Earlier in the tournament, he had already surpassed Enzo Scifo’s previous Belgian record of 17 World Cup appearances.

Across four World Cups, Courtois has combined longevity, consistency and elite performances, making him one of Belgium’s greatest-ever footballers and one of the competition’s most accomplished goalkeepers.