Senne Lammens endured a nightmare moment for Belgium in the World Cup quarter-final, but Manchester United have made it clear they will be supporting him
Goalkeeper Senne Lammens of Belgium gestures during the FIFA World Cup 2026 Quarter Final match between Spain and Belgium at Los Angeles Stadium on July 10, 2026 in Inglewood, United States
Senne Lammens endured a heartbreaking moment for Belgium(Image: Getty Images)
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Manchester United have sent an eight-word message to Senne Lammens after his nightmare moment cost Belgium against Spain in the World Cup quarter-final. Lammens may not have expected to get onto the field in the USA, Mexico and Canada, after being called up as Thibault Courtois' understudy.
However, in the second half against the Euro 2024 winners, the Real Madrid goalkeeper went down with a thigh injury and was substituted for Lammens. In the 88th minute, the Reds' goalkeeper dropped a shot from Pau Cubarsi into the path of Arsenal midfielder Mikel Merino, who prodded in the winning goal from close range.
Belgium could not recover from the set-back and were knocked out of the World Cup in the last-eight. Lammens' disappointment was clear for all to see in Los Angeles.
After the match, United rallied behind the 24-year-old shot-stopper with an eight-word message on Instagram. The club wrote: "Head up, Senne. We're all with you."
Courtois also offered his support to his younger colleague after the crucial mistake. The former Chelsea shot-stopper said: "It is a shame that Senne just couldn’t catch that ball, but that’s football. Mike [Penders], Guy [Martens] and I went to give him a hug.
"You can’t say much at that moment. It’s just a shame, but Senne is an excellent goalkeeper. He has a bright future ahead of him, and moments like that make you stronger. It shouldn’t be blamed on him. It’s part of football."
It's a monumental setback for Lammens who has been enjoying an excellent year in his career. The Belgian was somewhat of an unknown quantity when the Reds forked out £18.1million plus add-ons to sign him from Royal Antwerp.
However, he proved to be one of United's most important players, bringing an air of calm and solidity to their backline while also keeping eight clean sheets in 32 appearances for Ruben Amorim and Carrick. The latter will have to raise his confidence once he returns from the World Cup for the new season.
When United purchased him, he had only been selected for Belgium's U21s side. Since he's been at United, he has earned three international caps, an impressive achievement for a goalkeeper who often has to play second fiddle to Courtois.
Senne Lammens #12 of Belgium during the Spain v Belgium: Quarterfinal - FIFA World Cup 2026 at Los Angeles Stadium on July 10, 2026 in Inglewood, California
Lammens looke crestfallen after his mistake(Image: ISI Photos via Getty Images)
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In February, Carrick heralded the level of calm Lammens had brought to the backline and even referred to comparisons between him and Edwin van der Sar. Carrick said: "I definitely see the similarities, without comparing them. I don't want to be comparing them because I don't think it's fair to Senne. But there's definitely similarities.
"For me, he's a goalkeeper to be reliable, be trustworthy. Instead of creating chaos, you want him to take the chaos away and calm things down. I think Senne is that. He's quite quiet at times and unassuming, but he's got a real steel.
"How he's gone about it at the moment is with calmness, with composure. I think it does help those in front of him an awful lot."