Senne Lammens: Manchester United’s Unshakable No.1 After World Cup Setback
Manchester United’s 2025/26 season produced a few surprises, but none bigger than the rise of Senne Lammens.
When INEOS sanctioned an £18 million move for the Belgian from Royal Antwerp, the reaction around Old Trafford was muted. Many supporters barely knew his name. They do now.
United had lurched from one anxious goalkeeping display to another with Andre Onana and Altay Bayindir both struggling to convince. The club craved calm. Lammens supplied it in bulk.
The 24-year-old delivered a superb debut campaign, so impressive that Belgium called him into their World Cup squad. It felt like the natural next step in a fast‑rising career.
Then came Spain.
A World Cup Dream Turns Sour
Thibaut Courtois started every game for Belgium at the tournament, anchoring a side with genuine ambitions of going deep. But in the quarter-final against Spain, he picked up an injury, and the door swung open for Lammens.
This was his moment. Instead, it became a nightmare.
Late in the game, with the tie delicately poised, Pau Cubarsí hit a speculative effort from distance. It should have been routine. Lammens spilled it. Mikel Merino reacted first, stabbing home the winner in the 88th minute.
Belgium were out. The backlash was immediate and fierce.
Supporters were distraught. Sections of the Belgian media turned on the Manchester United keeper, pinning the exit on his error. For a player still building his reputation on the international stage, it was brutal.
United Close Ranks – and See Something New
Back in Manchester, there was no appetite to join the pile-on. The club knows all about World Cup scapegoats. Former United players have worn that tag before, and the scars linger.
United prepared to rally around Lammens, ready to protect a goalkeeper who had already given them so much stability. They expected a fragile figure returning from a harrowing summer.
They got the opposite.
According to a report from The Sun, those inside Old Trafford have been stunned by how composed, even untouched, Lammens has looked since rejoining club duty. One senior club source described him as “excellent” and highlighted how he has remained completely unflappable in the wake of the Spain mistake.
Far from shrinking, United believe he has actually improved since that World Cup howler.
He has the shirt to prove it. With Altay Bayindir sent out on loan, Lammens has taken the No.1 jersey, a symbolic confirmation of his status as the club’s first-choice goalkeeper.
Response on the Pitch
The reaction hasn’t just been psychological. It has been visible where it matters most: on the pitch.
United lost to Hull City on the opening weekend, but the scoreline did not reflect on their goalkeeper. Lammens turned in a strong display, producing key saves that kept the margin respectable and underlined his authority in the box.
Against Ipswich Town, he backed it up again. A couple of sharp stops preserved United at important moments, reinforcing the sense that the Belgium error has hardened rather than broken him.
From an £18 million question mark to an “excellent” No.1, Senne Lammens has already rewritten the narrative once this year. The only issue now is how far he can push it.
