Courtois confirms he will end career at Real Madrid

Goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois (33) told media ahead of Belgium’s World Cup group match against Iran that his goal is to finish his career at Real Madrid, ruling out any return to Belgian club football. He added that his current contract runs to 2027 and an extension to 2028 is understood to be agreed in principle.

Courtois told reporters he is not thinking about playing in Belgium again, describing the Pro League as a closed chapter. He added that Genk already has many good young goalkeepers, reinforcing his decision to stay at Real Madrid.

The 33‑year‑old joined Real Madrid from Chelsea in 2018 for around €35 million. Since then he has made over 200 competitive appearances and collected La Liga and Champions League titles.

His current deal runs to 2027, and an extension to 2028 is understood to be agreed in principle, which would make him 36 at expiry. This would break Madrid’s usual policy of offering players over 30 only one‑year renewals.

Courtois acknowledged that the club will have to think about his successor. The current hierarchy lists Andriy Lunin and academy prospect Fran González as the other options.

Antonio Rüdiger’s recent contract extension at Real Madrid suggests the club is tying down its senior core. The move comes as Madrid avoids a wholesale squad rebuild.

Courtois criticised the accuracy of reporting in Spain, saying, “I often read things in Spain that are fabricated. Things that aren’t true. … Maybe 80 percent is false. That hurts the players.” He said the misinformation hurts players.

The next concrete development is a formal announcement of the 2028 extension once international commitments conclude. Whether Madrid will attach performance or appearance conditions remains uncertain given his 2023 ACL rupture.