Belgium have recalled Axel Witsel to the squad for Euro 2024 in Germany next month, but there is no place for Thibaut Courtois despite the Real Madrid goalkeeper being in line to feature in Saturday's Champions League final.

Coach Domenico Tedesco announced his 25-man squad for next month's tournament on Tuesday with Witsel's recall a major surprise. Tedesco had visited the 35-year-old Atletico Madrid defender to persuade him to come back to the team.

Witsel won the last of his 130 caps at the World Cup in Qatar in late 2022, when Belgium were eliminated in the group stage.

Courtois walked out on the Belgian squad last June when he was not named captain in the wake of Eden Hazard’s retirement, leading to a public falling out with Tedesco.

The Real Madrid goalkeeper was criticised by teammates and has since expressed regret, but the rift between him and the coach appears not to have healed.

Courtois returned to fitness for Real Madrid only earlier this month and is in the squad for Saturday’s Champions League final against Borussia Dortmund at Wembley.

Club Brugge fullback Maxim De Cuyper is the only uncapped player in the squad. Belgium's most capped international Jan Vertonghen competes at the age of 37 and with 154 caps. The squad also includes top scorer Romelu Lukaku, who has netted 83 times in 114 appearances for his country.

Czech name squad

A trio of Bayer Leverkusen players, who won the Bundesliga and the German Cup unbeaten, headline the Czech Republic squad for the European Championship.

Forwards Patrik Schick and Adam Hlozek and goalkeeper Matej Kovar were in the 26-man squad named by coach Ivan Hasek on Tuesday.

West Ham midfielder Tomas Soucek will captain the Czechs, and picked with clubmate and right-back Vladimír Coufal.

Viktoria Plzen midfielder Lukas Cerv made the squad for the first time.

The team opens the tournament in Germany in Group F on June 18 against Portugal in Leipzig followed by Georgia on June 22 and Turkey four days later in Hamburg.