€28M valuation, zero appearances throughout the tournament—a piece of paper from Lisbon blocked De Bast.

On June 28, at the World Cup training camp, he joined the team for full practice for the first time. The results of a previous MRI scan had come in, and he summed it up in one word: "positive." In a post-training interview, he said: "Everything is going according to plan. We're optimistic. I feel good. Today I was able to partially participate in team training."

The Belgian FA's medical team reviewed the data and nodded. FIFA's Medical and Insurance Department conducted an independent assessment and reached the same conclusion—clinical recovery, fit to play.

Two green lights.

Sporting CP showed a red light. The club's official statement was blunt: "Sporting CP informs the player that they believe he is not medically fit to play."

The €28M Insurance Gap

Two medical teams gave the green light, but a statement from Lisbon overturned everything. The key question: who holds the veto power?

In the summer of 2024, Debast transferred from Anderlecht to Sporting CP for a fee of approximately €15.5M-18M, signing a five-year contract until 2029 with an €80M release clause. As of May 2026, Transfermarkt valued him at €28M. A 22-year-old, 1.91-meter center-back with 26 national team appearances—one of the most valuable defensive assets on Sporting's books.

The club feared a loss. And the fear had economic logic.

FIFA set up the Club Protection Program (CPP) to compensate clubs for player injuries during national team tournaments: a threshold of consecutive absence over 28 days, a daily cap of €20,548, and a maximum of €7.5M per incident. But the CPP only covers injuries sustained while a player is on national team duty. Debast's injury occurred during club training. The CPP did not apply.

There is also the World Cup Club Benefits Program (CBP), which pays clubs $5,000 per person per day, with a total pool of $355M. This money is calculated from the player's reporting date and is distributed to everyone, offering no additional incentive.

To break it down: Suppose Debast suffered a serious injury during the World Cup that sidelined him for six months. Through the CPP, the maximum compensation would be around €3.7M (€20,548 × 180 days). €3.7M is a drop in the bucket for a €28M asset. This doesn't even account for potential losses in transfer premium.

Lisbon did the math. The compensation the World Cup could offer was not enough to cover the risk exposure of a €28M asset being written off.

On the morning of the match day, July 10, representatives from the club and the national association held a final evaluation meeting in Los Angeles. No agreement was reached.

Debast sat on the bench and watched the game.

Spain 2-1 Belgium. Fabián Ruiz opened the scoring, and Charles De Ketelaere equalized with a header. In the 88th minute, Mikel Merino scored the winner. Spain had over 60% possession, an expected goals of 1.08 to 0.18, and a 3-0 corner kick advantage. Belgium's defense was pinned back in their own half, struggling to breathe.

At the pre-match press conference, head coach Rudi Garcia said something meaningful: "There is another player who cannot play. He could have played tomorrow, but we..." He stopped mid-sentence. After the match, he added: "We can be proud. As a team, we grew throughout the entire tournament. We looked Spain in the eye."

Debast's eyes were not on Spain. He was in the stands.

From "I feel good" on June 28 to "This pain I wouldn't wish on anyone" after the match on July 10—twelve days, two sentences, a young man caught between club and country, with less and less to say.

FIFA set up the CPP (capped at €7.5M) and the CBP (total pool of $355M), using real money to appease clubs into releasing players. On an institutional level, everything that could be done was done. But when a club faces the fear of a €28M asset potentially being destroyed, no compensation package is enough.

That night after the game, the lights at Los Angeles Stadium dimmed. Debast, in his tracksuit, walked from the stands to the player tunnel. Twelve days earlier, he had said, "I feel good." That night, his feelings were not recorded in any interview.