Thibaut Courtois #1

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Look who’s back! Courtois was left at home by Belgium for Euro 2024 because of a back-and-forth argument with the then head coach Domenico Tedesco. The German-Italian didn’t come out of it well, either, being fired soon afterwards. His successor, Rudi Garcia, flew to Madrid to convince Courtois to return to duty, and he agreed – much to the distress of Koen Casteels, the man who had stepped up to replace him. Casteels promptly quit the national team, saying: “It's strange that they are rolling out the red carpet and welcoming him back with open arms … As of today, I am no longer available." This summer is another chance for Courtois to show the world exactly how good he is. He knows it will be difficult to win the World Cup, but maybe he can add another record to his collection, which includes the record for most saves in a Champions League final (nine against Liverpool in 2022). Or could he win the Golden Glove again, as he did in 2018? His wife, the Israeli model Mishel Gerzig, will surely be in the US to support him, which he’ll appreciate if he isn’t glued to his phone. She once called him “the king of mobile phones” because of his fixation, saying he would regularly bump into door frames while using it.

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