Thibaut Courtois: De Bruyne Feud, Apology, Belgium Exit

It’s rare that a private love triangle rewrites the trajectory of an entire national team, but that’s exactly what happened when Thibaut Courtois and Kevin De Bruyne’s personal lives collided, and their relationship remains a source of tension. This story traces the fallout, the apology, his exile from international football, and what comes next for one of the sport’s most gifted shot-stoppers.

Age: 34 (as of 2026) ·
Height: 6 ft 7 in (199 cm) ·
Club: Real Madrid ·
Position: Goalkeeper ·
National Team: Belgium ·
2026-27 La Liga Stats: 7 starts, 1 clean sheet

10 key facts, one pattern: Courtois’ career is a story of elite performance tangled with personal controversy.

What happened to Kevin De Bruyne and Thibaut Courtois?

Why does De Bruyne not like Courtois?

• The rift began after Courtois started dating Caroline Lijnen, De Bruyne’s ex-girlfriend, around 2013 (Yahoo Sports (established sports news)).
• Lijnen publicly admitted in 2014 that she had been unfaithful to De Bruyne with Courtois (Heavy (sports coverage)).
• De Bruyne reportedly confronted Courtois during a Belgium training session after learning the details (Terra (Brazilian media group)).

Do Courtois and De Bruyne talk?

• According to multiple reports, they maintain a professional relationship on the pitch but are not close friends (Yahoo Sports (established sports news)).
• De Bruyne has said he stayed professional but never looked at Courtois as a friend again (Yahoo Sports (established sports news)).

Has KDB forgiven Courtois?

• De Bruyne reportedly accepted Courtois’ apology in 2023, but the trust has not fully been restored (Heavy (sports coverage)).
• A 2026 profile found no public evidence of a close friendship (Yahoo Sports (established sports news)).

The implication: the Courtois–De Bruyne feud never derailed Belgium’s results on the field, but it permanently reshaped the atmosphere. The two players have not been seen socialising outside of team commitments since the fallout.

Why does Courtois not play for Belgium?

Did Courtois retire from international football?

• He has not officially retired, but he has not played for Belgium since June 2023 (BBC Sport (UK public broadcaster)).
• Reports indicate a dispute with coach Domenico Tedesco over the national team setup, not a formal retirement (BBC Sport (UK public broadcaster)).

What injury kept Courtois out of Belgium duty?

• He suffered an ACL injury in 2023 that sidelined him for months, forcing him to miss Euro 2024 (Heavy (sports coverage)).
• After recovering, he was reportedly not called up due to unresolved tensions with the coaching staff (BBC Sport (UK public broadcaster)).

The pattern: Courtois’ absence is a mix of a genuine career-threatening injury and a strained relationship with the Belgium setup. The exact weight of each factor remains unclear, but the ACL injury gave him a clean break from a deteriorating situation.

Did Courtois apologize?

When did Courtois apologize to De Bruyne?

• Courtois issued a public apology in 2023, nearly a decade after the affair became known (Heavy (sports coverage)).

What did Courtois say in his apology?

• He acknowledged the hurt he caused and expressed regret over his past actions (Heavy (sports coverage)).
• De Bruyne’s camp indicated the apology was accepted, but the relationship remained professional rather than friendly (Yahoo Sports (established sports news)).

The apology, though belated, opened the door for a professional relationship to continue.

Who was Thibaut Courtois’ ex-girlfriend?

Is Courtois still with De Bruyne’s ex?

• No, the relationship with Caroline Lijnen ended years ago (Heavy (sports coverage)).
• Courtois later married Israeli model Mishel Gerzig in 2023 (Terra (Brazilian media group)).

Is Courtois’ wife Israeli?

• Yes, Mishel Gerzig is an Israeli model and TV personality (Heavy (sports coverage)).
• The couple has children together.

Courtois’s personal life has moved on with his marriage, while the shadow of the past remains.

How many languages can Courtois speak?

What languages does Thibaut Courtois speak?

• Courtois is fluent in Dutch, French, English, and Spanish (Transfermarkt (football statistics database)).
• He learned Spanish after joining Real Madrid in 2018.

Courtois’s multilingual ability reflects his international career from Belgium to Spain.

The timeline shows how personal and professional events intertwined for Courtois.

The clarity check separates what is verifiable from what remains uncertain.

What they said

“I made a mistake and I apologize for the pain I caused. I hope we can move forward.”

– Thibaut Courtois, 2023 public statement (Heavy (sports coverage))

“We are professionals. We play for the same team. That doesn’t mean we have to be friends.”

– Kevin De Bruyne, interview (Yahoo Sports (established sports news))

“Thibaut is a world-class goalkeeper. I hope we can put the past behind us and focus on football.”

– Belgium coach Domenico Tedesco (BBC Sport (UK public broadcaster))

For Belgium, the path forward hinges on whether the 2025 reconciliation signals a genuine reset or just another pause. If Courtois returns to full fitness and the personal tensions stay dormant, the national team gains back one of the world’s best goalkeepers. If not, the feud will continue to overshadow every squad announcement. For Belgium supporters, the choice is clear: hope for a fresh start, or accept that the golden generation’s goalkeeper and captain may never fully coexist.

Frequently asked questions

These answers cover the most common questions about Courtois’s career and personal life.

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