One moment from 12 yards could change everything, and Belgium’s veteran goalkeeper has already shown he can deliver on the biggest stage.
How many penalties has Courtois saved? The save percentage of Belgium’s goalkeeper
Belgium’s World Cup dream could come down to one familiar figure. No, not the ref!
Thibaut Courtois and his teammates are just one win away from reaching the semifinals for only the third time in the nation’s history, but standing in their way is a Spain side that has yet to concede a single goal at the 2026 World Cup.
If Luis de la Fuente’s team continues to defend as it has throughout the tournament, Belgium may have to rely on fine margins. And few players know better than Courtois how decisive those moments can be.
The goalkeeper from Bree has faced only two penalties during World Cup matches, but he owns a 50% save rate. The first came against Algeria at the 2014 World Cup and ended in a goal. Eight years later, he denied Canada from the spot in Qatar, preserving Belgium’s 1-0 victory in one of the defining moments of their campaign.
Courtois’ career penalty record
Penalty shootouts have been a tougher test for the Belgian goalkeeper. Across 16 spot kicks faced in shootouts, opponents have scored 10 times, missed the target on four occasions and seen Courtois make two saves, giving him a save rate of 12.5% in those situations.
Looking at every penalty he has faced during his career, the numbers are remarkably consistent. Courtois has confronted 96 penalties that were on target, stopping 15 of them for an overall save percentage of 15.6%. Opponents have also missed the target seven times without any intervention from the goalkeeper.
| Total | Shootouts | During games | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Penalties faced | 96 | 16 | 80 |
| Penalties conceded | 74 | 10 | 64 |
| Penalties missed | 7 | 4 | 3 |
| Saves | 15 | 2 | 13 |
| Saves percentage | 15.6% | 12.5% | 16.2% |
Note: For statistical purposes, Julián Álvarez’s disallowed double-touch penalty is recorded as a missed penalty rather than a save.
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