Do Courtois and De Bruyne make up? Photo of the wives indicates historic reconciliation By Carolina Costa
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A recent image captured the attention of football fans last Monday, July 8, 2026, when the teammates of renowned Belgian players Thibaut Courtois and Kevin De Bruyne were seen together in a stand. Influencer Mishel Gerzig Courtois, the goalkeeper’s wife, and Michèle De Bruyne, married to the midfielder, recorded a moment of apparent harmony, generating speculation about overcoming an old disagreement between the athletes, motivated by personal issues.
The point of contention between Courtois and De Bruyne dates back to 2013, when a betrayal rocked their friendship, resulting in years of silence. Kevin De Bruyne learned that his then friend, Thibaut Courtois, was romantically involved with his girlfriend at the time, Caroline Linjen. This episode culminated in a confrontation during training for the Belgian national team and was described in detail in the midfielder’s autobiography, entitled “Keep It Simple”.
Despite the breakup, the bond between the players was deep and old. Both began their football careers when they were still young, playing side by side at the Genk club, before following paths that took them to Chelsea and, later, to being called up to the national team.
Today, Courtois and De Bruyne remain pillars of the Belgium team, and although they have reestablished their professional interactions, the intensity of their pre-conflict friendship has not fully recovered.
Caroline Linjen, in turn, shared her point of view on the breakup. She revealed that she discovered in the summer of 2012 that Kevin De Bruyne had cheated on her with her best friend. Confronted, Kevin was given an ultimatum to choose between the two. Despite an attempt at reconciliation and a second chance, the relationship never returned to what it was.
Furthermore, Caroline mentioned that her relationship with De Bruyne’s parents was complicated. She recalled a heated argument where her in-laws accused her of destabilizing the athlete in the period before an important match.
