# Koen Casteels

Koen Casteels (Dutch pronunciation:; born 25 June 1992) is a Belgian professional footballer who plays as a goalkeeper for Saudi Pro League club Al-Qadsiah.
Formed at Genk, Casteels spent most of his professional career in Germany with TSG Hoffenheim, Werder Bremen (loan) and VfL Wolfsburg, making over 200 Bundesliga appearances.
Casteels made 37 appearances for Belgium up to under-21 level. He was first called up for the senior team in 2013 and was part of their squad that came third at the 2018 FIFA World Cup.

## Club career

Casteels was developed at K.R.C. Genk where he was a teammate of fellow goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois. He was initially regarded as better than Courtois, but while he and several of the club's other goalkeepers were injured, Courtois broke into the team.
Casteels was signed by VfL Wolfsburg from TSG Hoffenheim in January 2015, but spent the first six months of the three-and-a-half-year contract on loan at Werder Bremen. He played for Wolfsburg in the 2015 DFL-Supercup, saving from Xabi Alonso in the penalty shoot-out as his team won after a 1–1 draw.
When Diego Benaglio left Wolfsburg in June 2017, Casteels signed a new three-year contract with the club and was given the number 1 shirt. He appeared in all of the club's 34 Bundesliga matches during the 2017−18 season.
On 2 September 2023, Casteels announced that he would leave at the end of the 2023−24 Bundesliga season.
On 10 June 2024, Casteels joined newly promoted Saudi Pro League club Al-Qadsiah on a three-year contract.

## International career

Casteels was first called up to the senior Belgium team in May 2013. He was going to be part of Belgium's 2014 FIFA World Cup squad but failed to recover from an injury and was replaced by Silvio Proto and then Sammy Bossut.
Manager Roberto Martínez often chose four goalkeepers in his international selections, and as the 2018 FIFA World Cup only permitted three, Casteels battled with Matz Sels for the final space behind Thibaut Courtois and Simon Mignolet. He was eventually chosen for the final 23-man squad to go to Russia.
Casteels made his full international debut on 8 September 2020, in a 5–1 win over Iceland for the UEFA Nations League.
Casteels was part of the Belgium squad at the 2022 FIFA World Cup, but again did not play a minute.
After Thibaut Courtois fell out with national team coach Domenico Tedesco, Casteels was chosen as first choice, with Tedesco describing him as one of the best in the world. Casteels played in all of Belgium's games at UEFA Euro 2024 and impressed, making important saves and also recording an assist in their 2–0 win over Romania.
On 10 March 2025, Casteels announced that he had quit the national team in frustration over the decision to bring Thibaut Courtois back into the fold.

## Career statistics
### Club

    As of match played 14 March 2025
Appearances and goals by club, season and competition :
| Club | Season | League | League | League | National cup | National cup | Continental | Continental | Other | Other | Total | Total |
| Club | Season | Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals |
| TSG Hoffenheim II | 2011–12 | Regionalliga Süd | 23 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 23 | 0 |
| TSG Hoffenheim II | 2012–13 | Regionalliga Südwest | 7 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 7 | 0 |
| TSG Hoffenheim II | 2014–15 | Regionalliga Südwest | 2 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 2 | 0 |
| TSG Hoffenheim II | Total | Total | 32 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 32 | 0 |
| TSG Hoffenheim | 2012–13 | Bundesliga | 16 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 2 | 0 | 18 | 0 |
| TSG Hoffenheim | 2013–14 | Bundesliga | 23 | 0 | 2 | 0 | — | — | — | — | 25 | 0 |
| TSG Hoffenheim | Total | Total | 39 | 0 | 2 | 0 | — | — | 2 | 0 | 43 | 0 |
| Werder Bremen (loan) | 2014–15 | Bundesliga | 6 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | — | 7 | 0 |
| VfL Wolfsburg | 2015–16 | Bundesliga | 13 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 17 | 0 |
| VfL Wolfsburg | 2016–17 | Bundesliga | 20 | 0 | 2 | 0 | — | — | 2 | 0 | 24 | 0 |
| VfL Wolfsburg | 2017–18 | Bundesliga | 34 | 0 | 3 | 0 | — | — | 2 | 0 | 39 | 0 |
| VfL Wolfsburg | 2018–19 | Bundesliga | 26 | 0 | 3 | 0 | — | — | — | — | 29 | 0 |
| VfL Wolfsburg | 2019–20 | Bundesliga | 26 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 0 | — | — | 32 | 0 |
| VfL Wolfsburg | 2020–21 | Bundesliga | 32 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 0 | — | — | 37 | 0 |
| VfL Wolfsburg | 2021–22 | Bundesliga | 28 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 0 | — | — | 34 | 0 |
| VfL Wolfsburg | 2022–23 | Bundesliga | 34 | 0 | 2 | 0 | — | — | — | — | 36 | 0 |
| VfL Wolfsburg | 2023–24 | Bundesliga | 25 | 0 | 2 | 0 | — | — | — | — | 27 | 0 |
| VfL Wolfsburg | Total | Total | 238 | 0 | 18 | 0 | 14 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 275 | 0 |
| Al-Qadsiah | 2024–25 | Saudi Pro League | 25 | 0 | 2 | 0 | — | — | — | — | 27 | 0 |
| Career total | Career total | Career total | 340 | 0 | 23 | 0 | 14 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 381 | 0 |
* ↑ Includes DFB-Pokal, King's Cup
* 1 2 3 Appearances in Bundesliga relegation play-offs
* 1 2 Appearances in UEFA Champions League
* ↑ Appearance in DFL-Supercup
* 1 2 Appearances in UEFA Europa League

### International

    As of match played 17 November 2024
Appearances and goals by national team and year :
| National team | Year | Apps | Goals |
| Belgium | 2020 | 1 | 0 |
| Belgium | 2021 | 2 | 0 |
| Belgium | 2022 | 1 | 0 |
| Belgium | 2023 | 4 | 0 |
| Belgium | 2024 | 12 | 0 |
| Total | Total | 20 | 0 |

## Honours

Genk
* Belgian First Division: 2010–11
* Belgian Cup: 2008-09
VfL Wolfsburg
* DFL-Supercup: 2015
Belgium
* FIFA World Cup third place: 2018
Individual
* Kicker Best Goalkeeper of the Bundesliga: 2017–18