Belgian goalkeeper receives comforting words after World Cup quarter-final blunder

Belgian reserve goalkeeper Senne Lammens faced a difficult moment in the World Cup quarter-final against Spain, conceding a crucial chance that led to the decisive goal. However, he has found support from his teammates in the aftermath of Belgium's exit from the tournament.

Mikel Merino's goal, stemming from a chance Lammens gave up shortly before the end of the match, secured a 2-1 victory for Spain. Veteran goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois, who was substituted with 20 minutes remaining, offered Lammens a hug and words of encouragement.

"He is a skilled goalkeeper. He will only get stronger after this," Courtois said. "When it comes down to it, you can't say much to him or give him advice. He is a strong guy with a strong character. He will be fine."

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I gave him a hug. He is a skilled goalkeeper. He will only get stronger after this. When it comes down to it, you can't say so much to him or give him advice. He is a strong guy with a strong character. He will be fine.

Courtois also revealed his own substitution was due to a leg injury that affected his long kicks, though he expressed a desire to stay on the field. Defender Brandon Mechele echoed Courtois's sympathy, acknowledging the difficulty of the situation for Lammens.

"It's a situation he will learn from," Mechele stated. "It wasn't an easy ball. I think it bounced right in front of him. And we defenders could perhaps have helped him even better. So he needs to learn, and as a group, we need to be there for each other."

Spain is set to face France in the semi-finals, while other quarter-final matches include England against Norway and Argentina against Switzerland.

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It's a situation he will learn from. It wasn't an easy ball. I think it bounced right in front of him. And we defenders could perhaps have helped him even better. So he needs to learn, and as a group, we need to be there for each other.