Senne Lammens endured a painful World Cup debut as Belgium were knocked out by Spain in a 2-1 quarter-final defeat.
The Manchester United goalkeeper came on after 70 minutes when Thibaut Courtois went off injured and in tears.
Lammens’ first major World Cup moment then went badly wrong. He failed to hold Pau Cubarsi’s low shot late on, allowing Mikel Merino to react first and score Spain’s winner.
The 24-year-old looked devastated after the goal, before Courtois consoled him at full-time.
ReadManUtd recently covered Lammens’ impressive first season at Old Trafford, with the Belgian having pushed himself into a genuine national-team discussion.
Lammens Faces Harsh Belgium Lesson
There had been calls in Belgium for Lammens to start ahead of Courtois after his strong United form.
This was a reminder of how quickly tournament football can turn. Lammens entered the game cold, in difficult circumstances, and one handling error decided the quarter-final.
For Manchester United, the mistake should not define him. Goalkeepers develop through difficult moments, and Lammens has already shown enough at club level to suggest he can recover.
ReadManUtd also looked at United’s wider goalkeeper planning under Michael Carrick, and this night does not change the long-term view.
It does, though, give Carrick something to manage when Lammens returns. The goalkeeper will need support, clarity and a quick reset before pre-season work resumes.
Belgium’s World Cup is over. Lammens’ United career still has far more road left than this one costly night.
