Axel Witsel: We Can Only Be Proud of What We Achieved

Veteran Axel Witsel made a surprise appearance in the match against Spain, which could potentially be his last for the Belgian national team. The "Red Devils" suffered a dramatic 2-1 loss, ending their 2026 World Cup campaign in the quarterfinals.

“I'm sad. Spain was strong, but we defended solidly. Perhaps we could have hurt them more on the counter-attack. That was a bit lacking. But we can all be proud and leave this World Cup with our heads held high,” Witsel commented.

“Things didn't start well with Youri Tielemans' injury, and then Thibaut Courtois and Kevin De Bruyne had to be substituted. We lacked a bit of luck, but it's tough to go up against Spain and expect to dominate possession. We knew we would suffer. We were strong, but it all comes down to details. If we could have gone into extra time, we really would have had a chance. But we lacked precision on the counter-attacks,” the experienced midfielder added.

"Did Courtois' injury change anything mentally? We have three excellent goalkeepers. Thibaut is Thibaut, of course, but we shouldn't attribute today's loss to his departure. We are a team. As I said, it all comes down to details. Today, they didn't go our way. But three-quarters of the world didn't even expect us in the quarterfinals, so we can leave the World Cup with pride," Witsel emphasized.

“I think this was my last World Cup, yes. I'm 37 now, and I'll be 41 at the next one. Of course, that makes me a little sad because I know this was my last appearance at the biggest football forum,” the midfielder concluded.