Lammers' mistake leads to World Cup exit; devastated after being scored on. Manchester United fears a repeat of De Gea's tragedy.

Manchester United goalkeeper Senna Lammers finally achieved his dream of appearing in a World Cup, but unfortunately, it became a horror story. In the final minutes of the game, the 24-year-old committed a mistake, and Spain beat Belgium 2-1 to reach the semifinals, ending the "European Red Devils" run in the last eight.

As is well known, Belgium's first-choice goalkeeper is Real Madrid's Thibaut Courtois. He also had a fumble in the first half, leading to a 0-1 deficit. However, that was a close-range shot inside the box, and it's normal for a goalkeeper to fail to save it. Subsequently, Courtois made several crucial saves to keep Belgium in the game, neutralizing Spain's dangerous attempts and somewhat redeeming himself.

With about 20 minutes left, Courtois was unable to continue due to an injury and left the field in tears. The Manchester United goalkeeper stepped in under pressure, making his World Cup debut in a crucial quarterfinal. Unfortunately, he couldn't become a hero. Just before the end of regular time, Barcelona's Pau Cubarsí found space in front of the penalty area and fired a long-range shot. The ball bounced in front of the goal, and Lammers tried to catch it but spilled it.

The ball fell to Arsenal midfielder Mikel Merino, who tapped it in for the winning goal. After conceding, Lammers sat on the ground with his head in his hands, a look of despair on his face—it was his first save attempt of the match. This seemed to shatter his confidence, and his second save also caused a dangerous moment, nearly allowing Spain to score again.

The camera then turned to Courtois on the sidelines, whose face also showed disappointment. Belgium's legendary "Golden Generation" remaining four players—Courtois, De Bruyne, Lukaku, and Witsel—likely bid farewell to the international stage. However, after the match, Courtois and the Belgian team consoled Lammers.

Courtois said, "Lammers is an incredible goalkeeper with a bright future. This moment will make him stronger in the future; there's no problem. For a goalkeeper, that feeling is like stepping in dog poop. But that's football. I've been through it too. Every goalkeeper makes mistakes. He's still young and has a long way to go. He needs to learn from this and stay focused because Belgium will rely on him in the future. Everyone sees his potential, and I believe in him."

Courtois also revealed that he didn't want to be substituted, but head coach Rudi Garcia made the decision. Courtois had held his left thigh after a long kick, but he insisted he didn't feel unable to continue. "It was a powerful kick at the start of the second half, and I felt something wrong in my muscle," Courtois recalled. "I made some saves, felt fine, and continued. Then another time when I kicked the ball far, the pain became more obvious. It was clearly muscle discomfort that needed careful handling."

He continued, "I wanted to keep playing, but the coach felt the team needed a 100% fit player, and that was his decision. I felt good and wanted to see how it went for another 5 or 10 minutes. I made a few saves without issue, but I couldn't kick long. The substitution was the coach's call, and that's fine."

Undoubtedly, Garcia might have made the wrong choice, and Courtois, Lammers, and the Belgian team all paid a heavy price. Lammers, who impressed for United last season, was named the Premier League's official Best Signing of the Season, costing £18 million. Some fans thought he should replace Courtois as the starter. However, this mistake shows he still has much to learn. After the World Cup exit, he will have a three-week break before returning to Manchester United in early August.

With Lammers and Belgium out of the World Cup, the only remaining Manchester United players are England's Kobbie Mainoo and Argentina's Lisandro Martínez. Their teams will play in the quarterfinals this weekend. Mainoo has yet to play for England, while Martínez is a key starter for Argentina.

Manchester United hopes Lammers can stay calm and avoid repeating David de Gea's 2018 disaster. Before the World Cup in Russia, De Gea was United's guardian and "Daddy Duck." But after replacing Casillas as Spain's starter, he made a mistake in a 3-3 draw with Portugal, allowing Cristiano Ronaldo to complete a hat-trick. De Gea lost confidence and started making errors back in the Premier League.

Of course, Lammers also has positive examples to follow at United, such as David Beckham after his red card in 1998 or Cristiano Ronaldo after the "eye incident" with Rooney in 2006. Both overcame pressure after the World Cup to win titles for their clubs and become heroes on the pitch again.

Courtois encouraged Lammers to face the setback bravely. "I hugged him tightly after the game. There was nothing else I could do at that moment. You can't say much more or give him more advice. He's a strong person with a strong character, and I believe he'll be fine. He'll have some time off, then go back to Manchester, and have a great season," the Real Madrid goalkeeper said. "Personally, getting knocked out in the World Cup quarterfinals is disappointing for anyone. But oh well, it's done, and nothing can change it. We'll rest for a few weeks, and then I'll see how my injury is."

Brandon Mechele, a Belgian defender who played with Lammers at Club Brugge, also expressed his support. "This is a learning opportunity for him," Mechele said. "It wasn't the easiest ball to handle because it bounced right in front of him. As defenders, we could have been more proactive in helping him. So he needs to learn from this, and as a team, we must support and help each other."