Courtois

Real Madrid goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois has taken matters into his own hands by acquiring Belgian goalkeeper glove brand REAL. Courtois debuted the gloves in Real Madrid's 1-0 victory over Villarreal, officially taking the pitch in equipment produced by his own company.

The Belgian shot-stopper has a long personal history with the brand, having worn REAL gloves during his breakthrough years at Genk before moving abroad. Founded in Tongeren over three decades ago by Benny and Sabine Vanhaeren, the company was bought by Courtois through his co-owned firm Bruwag in summer 2026.

The switch follows the end of Courtois' three-year partnership with Elite Sport, who confirmed that the goalkeeper decided to part ways after purchasing the Belgian label. Wearing custom pairs featuring his own name and the REAL logo, Courtois joins an exclusive list of footballers competing in their own branded gear.

Following the introduction of special FIFA player patches for the 2026 World Cup, Thibaut Courtois has been spotted wearing a special Golden Glove patch on his Belgium kit, commemorating his award-winning performance at the 2018 tournament.

The new initiative by FIFA allows past award winners, including recipients of the Golden Boot, Golden Ball, and Golden Glove, to display their historic individual achievements directly on the sleeves of their national team shirts.