Thibaut Courtois

Thibaut Courtois is a Belgian professional footballer who plays as a goalkeeper for the Belgium national team and La Liga side Real Madrid. He is regarded as one of the best goalkeepers in the world and is renowned for his excellent reflexes, acrobatic saves, and command of the penalty area.

Early Life

Thibaut Courtois was born on May 11, 1992, in Bree, a small town in Belgium. Growing up, Courtois was interested in several sports, including volleyball, basketball, and tennis, but he eventually decided to focus on football. He started playing for the local team, Bilzen V.V., before moving to the youth academy of Racing Genk, one of the top clubs in Belgium.

He was offered a trial from Racing Genk after impressing their scouts and joined their youth team. He found his true calling as a goalkeeper when he was deployed between the sticks in an under-9 tournament in which he was adjudged as the best goalkeeper.

Coming through the ranks of Genk, he had a strong rivalry with Koen Casteels who was the same age, but was considered a better talent and had been called up for the youth national side.

Club Career

His professional career began in the 2010-11 season with Genk, he received the Best Goalkeeper of Year in the league and was voted Genk’s best player, as he conceded only 32 goals from 40 games. He also helped them win the Belgian Pro League.

He was signed by Chelsea in July 2011. He was immediately loaned out to Atletico Madrid, where he would spend the next three seasons.

Courtois quickly established himself as one of the best goalkeepers in Spain, helping Atletico Madrid win the Copa del Rey in his first season and the La Liga title in his second season. He also played a key role in Atletico's run to the UEFA Champions League final in the 2013-2014 season, where they were eventually defeated by city rivals Real Madrid.

In 2014, Courtois returned to Chelsea and became the team's first-choice goalkeeper. He played a key role in Chelsea's Premier League title win in the 2014-2015 season, as well as their League Cup win in the 2014-2015 and 2015-2016 seasons.

However, Courtois fell out of favor with new Chelsea manager Antonio Conte in the 2017-2018 season, and was eventually sold to Real Madrid in August 2018. At Real Madrid, Courtois has established himself as the team's starting goalkeeper and has helped them win the 2019-2020 La Liga title, as well as the 2019-2020 Supercopa de España. Since then, he has gone on to win the 2021-22 La Liga and UEFA Champions League as well.

International Career

He was first called up for the senior Belgian side in October 2011, for a friendly match against Slovenia. He made his debut a month later on 15th November 2011, in a friendly match against France. He had a great debut as he kept a clean sheet, but Belgium drew the match 0-0.

Since his debut, Courtois has been an important player for the Belgium national team, and has helped them reach the quarter-finals of the 2014 FIFA World Cup, as well as the semi-finals of the 2018 FIFA World Cup. He was also a member of the Belgium squad that finished third in the 2018 FIFA World Cup, and was named the best goalkeeper of the tournament.

He also featured for Belgium in the 2022 FIFA World Cup, however, he failed to have any impact as they were knocked out in the group stages. However, he reached a monumental milestone of 100 caps for his country.

Records

• Courtois holds the record for the longest unbeaten run in a single season in La Liga history, having gone 1,154 minutes without conceding a goal for Atletico Madrid during the 2012-2013 season.

• Courtois has won the Zamora Trophy (awarded to the goalkeeper with the best goals-to-games ratio in La Liga) on three occasions, which is a record for a non-Spanish goalkeeper.

• Courtois has kept the most clean sheets (34) in a single season in Premier League history, achieved during the 2013-2014 season with Chelsea.

• Courtois has the most clean sheets (57) for a Belgian goalkeeper in international matches.

Awards and Achievements

Personal Life

Courtois enjoys playing video games, particularly FIFA. He is also a fan of basketball and supports the NBA team the Houston Rockets.

He is involved in various charitable activities. He is an ambassador for the NGO 'Save the Children' and has also worked with the Belgian charity 'Kom op tegen Kanker', which supports cancer patients. Courtois has invested in several business ventures, including a chain of Belgian restaurants called 'Sanba' and a real estate agency called 'Cresta'.

Net Worth

As of 2023, his net worth is estimated to be around $110 million.

Family

His father, Thierry Courtois, was also a professional footballer and played as a goalkeeper for several Belgian clubs. His mother's name is unknown, but he has two sisters named Valerie and Gaëlle. Valerie is a professional volleyball player who plays for Stade Français Paris Saint Cloud and Belgium.

Partner

Courtois was in a long-term relationship with Marta Dominguez, a Spanish model and TV presenter. The couple has two children together, a son named Enzo and a daughter named Aria. However, they separated in 2019.

He has been in a relationship with Israeli model Mishel Gerzig since July 2021, the couple got engaged in June 2022.

Houses

Courtois owns a luxurious villa in Madrid, Spain, where he currently plays for Real Madrid. The villa is located in the exclusive La Finca residential complex and reportedly cost €5.6 million. The house features a swimming pool, a gym, a cinema room, and a garage that can accommodate up to eight cars.

He also owns a mansion in Surrey, England, which he purchased in 2018 while playing for Chelsea. The house reportedly cost £7 million and features an indoor pool, a gym, a cinema room, and a large garden.

Courtois also owns a house in his hometown of Bree, Belgium, which he purchased in 2014. The house is located on a 7-acre plot of land and features a swimming pool, a sauna, a jacuzzi, and a private lake.