‘That’s how you try to stop him’ – Thibaut Courtois offers Belgium advice on Lamine Yamal

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ARLINGTON, TEXAS - JULY 06: Lamine Yamal #19 of Spain reacts during the FIFA World Cup 2026 Round of 16 match between Portugal and Spain at Dallas Stadium on July 06, 2026 in Arlington, Texas. (Photo by Molly Darlington/Getty Images) | Getty Images

Belgium and Real Madrid goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois has offered his team-mates some advice ahead of their World Cup quarter-final tie against Spain and Lamine Yamal.

The two teams will meet on Friday night and battle for a place in the last four of the tournament. Yamal will once again be tasked with providing attacking inspiration for Spain, and Courtois says his team will need to double up on the Barcelona star.

“Lamine is Lamine; we know he’s very talented in one-on-one situations,” he told reporters. He’s very quick and very agile. He can dribble two players and then he also plays through balls.

“I think ultimately it’s about marking him very closely, and when we can create a two-on-one situation, I think that’s how you try to stop him, but he’s a star, he’s a great player and it really is difficult to stop him.”

Yamal spoke before the tournament about how he’s getting used to being marked by two or three players at a time, saying that he eventually expects to move into a more central role as “the only place where three players can’t mark you is in the middle.”

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