Former Sweden striker Zlatan Ibrahimović has strongly criticised Belgium head coach Rudi Garcia over his decision to replace goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois during Belgium’s FIFA World Cup quarter-final defeat to Spain.
Speaking as a television pundit after Belgium’s 2-1 loss, Ibrahimović blamed the coach for the team’s elimination, arguing that the goalkeeping substitution changed the course of the match.
Courtois was forced off in the second half after picking up a minor injury, prompting Garcia to introduce Senne Lammens, who currently plays for Manchester United.
Ibrahimović questioned why Mike Penders, who was also on the bench, was overlooked.
“How do you take Courtois off and bring on Lammens when Penders is on the bench?” Ibrahimović asked.
He suggested that the decision may have been influenced by the clubs the goalkeepers represent rather than their ability, insisting that national team selections should be based solely on merit.
The former AC Milan, Paris Saint-Germain and Manchester United forward did not stop there.
He described Lammens as “overrated” and said the young goalkeeper was “not good enough at this level.”
Ibrahimović pointed to the decisive moment in the match, when Lammens failed to deal with a shot, allowing Spain midfielder Mikel Merino to score the winning goal.
According to the Swedish football legend, that mistake proved costly and could have been avoided with a different goalkeeping choice.
He also criticised Belgium’s coaching staff, saying both the head coach and the goalkeeping coach should take responsibility for what he described as a poor decision.
Belgium’s defeat ended their hopes of winning the 2026 FIFA World Cup after a campaign that had shown promise under Garcia.
Spain, meanwhile, advanced to the semi-finals after another impressive display.
Lammens, who was making only his third senior appearance for Belgium, has received support from many fans despite the mistake, with some arguing that the young goalkeeper should not shoulder all the blame for the team’s elimination.
