Real Madrid News
Real Madrid duo downplay reports of bust-up between Belgium stars: “A lot of nonsense”
Over the past 24 hours or so, a lot of reports emerged claiming that several players in the Belgium World Cup squad were involved in a major dressing room bust-up following their defeat to Morocco.
The Belgian Red Devils fell to a shock 2-0 defeat to the African nation this past weekend, which came after some interesting comments made by Kevin De Bruyne, with the Manchester City star stating the defenders in the national team were too old.
Jan Vertonghen seemed to have been upset by the comments made by the midfielder and appeared to take a dig at De Bruyne in his post-match interview.
Following that reports from Belgium emerged that Real Madrid winger and Belgium captain Eden Hazard, De Bruyne and Vertonghen were involved in a bust-up in the dressing room.
It was stated that Hazard had a go at the Belgium defence for being too slow, and his remarks did not sit well with Vertonghen. The reports suggested that Romelu Lukaku, currently recovering from an injury, had to intervene and stop the players involved.
However, Hazard has come out and dismissed those claims, stating that all the reports of a spat were total nonsense.
“Nothing happened after the game against Morocco. The rumours? A lot of nonsense. We had a good meeting yesterday with all the players,” Hazard said (h/t Walfoot.be).
“There were no discussions with Vertonghen in the dressing room. I did not fight with him. I’m not stupid. He’s bigger than me (laughs).”
About the remarks about the defenders being slow, Hazard explained: “No, the guys know my character. Jan came to talk to me about it and I told him that it was true, he is not fast ( smile), and he agreed. I laugh a lot, but when it’s time to be serious, I am.”
Talking about what De Bruyne had said in his interview, Hazard elaborated: “Sometimes, in interviews, you say things without thinking about the consequences. Yes, we are older than we were 4 years ago, it’s true, I am, Kevin is, Thibaut is.
“That’s the way it is. But Kevin has confidence in us, otherwise, he wouldn’t be here.”
On whether he is considering international retirement and the upcoming match against Croatia could be his last, Hazard said: “I will not approach this match by saying that it is my last because, in my head, we will still go far.”
Courtois also downplayed the rumours of the bust-up, stating that no such thing happened, saying: (h/t HLN):
“There is no problem within the group. Of course, you are not happy when you lose. These outside stories bring us closer together. It will be a difficult game on Thursday. We will give everything.”
About the comments made by Hazard and De Bruyne of players being old, Courtois insisted that age is not an issue, citing examples of his Real Madrid teammates Karim Benzema and Luka Modric.
“That has all been cleared up. Sometimes it is also taken over differently. Age is not important either, just look at Benzema and Modric. We are not too nice to each other either. Yesterday, everything was cleared up. Everyone expressed their opinions openly. Now we have to take action on the pitch,” he said.
Belgium will face Croatia on December 1 and will need to grab all three points in order to progress to the knockout stages.
Real Madrid News
Carlos Espi reacts after scoring match-winning goal in Elche 2-3 Real Madrid: ‘Starting like this is a dream’
Carlos Espi is becoming Real Madrid’s unlikely late-game specialist.
The 21-year-old once again came off the bench to rescue Jose Mourinho’s side, this time scoring the 91st-minute winner in a dramatic 3-2 victory over Elche.
It was his second goal for the club, and both have arrived at crucial moments.
Speaking to Real Madrid TV after the match, Espi could barely contain his excitement.
“I’m so happy—the happiest man in the world. I try to help the team any way I can, and every time I step onto the field, I give it my all and come away feeling great.
“Starting like this has been a dream. This isn’t over yet; we’re going to keep going because we have Sunday’s match coming up.
Carlos Espi winning goal in Elche vs Real Madrid game. Mbappe assist. pic.twitter.com/STJBV3ikQL
— Daily Foot Vibes (@dailyfootvibes) September 16, 2026
“This is a team effort. All of us who take the field make the most of our opportunities and give it our all,” he began.
Espi keeps making his minutes count
There is a growing pattern to Espi’s involvement. Even though he has yet to start a match for the first team, that has not stopped him from making an impact.
His first goal arrived against Espanyol in Real Madrid’s opening game, when another late strike helped secure the result.
Against Elche, he was required again after Real Madrid surrendered a two-goal lead and suddenly found themselves in serious trouble.
Espi eventually appeared at the back post in the 91st minute and finished the move to give Mourinho’s team all three points.
The youngster shared the credit with his teammates, but he also had special praise for the player who supplied his decisive moment.
That assist came from Kylian Mbappe, whose presence has made Espi’s route into the starting XI particularly difficult.
“It’s unbelievable—it’s crazy to watch him train and play. In this case, he set me up for the goal, and I’m very happy for him, too.”
First Madrid derby already has Espi excited
The timing of Espi’s latest contribution could hardly be more interesting, as Real Madrid now face Atletico Madrid on Sunday, giving the forward an opportunity to experience his first Madrid derby.
“I’m really looking forward to it—I’m so excited. It’s my first derby here, and we’re going to go for it.”
For Mourinho, Espi is a useful option when matches become chaotic. He may not yet be a regular starter, but his two appearances on the scoresheet have carried considerably more weight than the minutes he has played.
