Short answers, pulled from the story.
Courtois made nine saves in the 2022 UEFA Champions League final, a record since Opta began tracking in 2003-04. He was named player of the match as Real Madrid beat Liverpool 1-0. His 59 saves across that entire campaign also set a new single-season Champions League record.
Real Madrid signed Courtois in August 2018 for a reported fee of £35 million, making him La Liga's most expensive goalkeeper at the time. He signed a six-year contract with the club.
Courtois originally played as a left back for local side Bilzen V.V. before joining Racing Genk in 1999 at age seven, where coaches converted him into a goalkeeper.
Courtois won the FIFA World Cup Golden Glove at the 2018 tournament in Russia, where he made 27 saves in seven matches, more than any other goalkeeper. Belgium finished third, their highest-ever finish at the competition.
Courtois and Belgium manager Domenico Tedesco had an unresolved conflict that began when Courtois was not named captain during a qualifier against Austria. Despite recovering from a torn ACL and helping Real Madrid win the Champions League, Courtois was not selected, and in August 2024 he announced he would not return to the national team while Tedesco remained in charge. Tedesco was dismissed in January 2025.
Through his investment company NxtPlay, Courtois became involved in French club Le Mans FC in February 2026 and Spanish club CD Extremadura in May 2026. On the 1st of June 2026 he also acquired a minority stake in KRC Genk, the club where he developed as a goalkeeper.