Spain beats Belgium 2-1 to reach World Cup semi-final against France

Spain beats Belgium 2-1 to reach World Cup semi-final against France

Mikel Merino scored a late winner on Friday at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles to propel Spain into the 2026 FIFA World Cup semifinals with a 2-1 victory over Belgium. The result sets up a semifinal clash against France in Dallas on July 14.

The match was decided in the 88th minute when Merino, acting as a super-sub, smashed in a rebound after Belgium's backup goalkeeper Senne Lammens fumbled a shot from Pau Cubarsi. This marked the second consecutive knockout game where Merino scored a late winner for Spain, following a similar performance against Portugal in the Round of 16.

Spain first took the lead in the 30th minute. Fabian Ruiz scored after Thibaut Courtois failed to control the rebound from an initial shot by Dani Olmo. Belgium responded in the 41st minute when Charles De Ketelaere headed in an equalizer off a cross from Timothy Castagne. The goal made De Ketelaere the joint-top scorer for Belgium in World Cup knockout matches with three, tied with Romelu Lukaku and Jan Ceulemans.

The turning point for Belgium arrived in the second half. Thibaut Courtois, whom Spain coach Luis de la Fuente had previously described as one of the world's top five goalkeepers, suffered a muscular injury to his left thigh. Courtois was substituted in the 73rd minute, leaving the pitch in tears. Rudi Garcia, the Belgium coach, stated the decision to sub him was made because he did not want players who were not 100 per cent and did not want the injury to worsen.

The introduction of Senne Lammens, a Manchester United goalkeeper making only his third international appearance, proved costly. Lammens became the first goalkeeper other than Courtois to play for Belgium at a World Cup since 2002, but he ultimately conceded the winning goal in the 88th minute.

The match also saw the end of a historic defensive streak for Spain. Goalkeeper Unai Simon entered the contest having gone 609 World Cup minutes without conceding a goal, the longest period in the history of the tournament. Including the previous 2022 tournament, Simon had six successive clean sheets. De Ketelaere's goal ended a run of 649 minutes without Spain conceding during this specific World Cup.

Spain's dominance was evident in the statistics. Spain finished with 16 shot attempts to Belgium's five. Through the first 80 minutes, Spain held 68% possession and completed 514 accurate passes compared to 207 for Belgium. Spain captain Rodri anchored the midfield with 118 touches.

Belgium's campaign was hampered by previous losses. Midfielder Amadou Onana had been ruled out of the tournament due to an ACL injury, and Youri Tielemans was also absent. The defeat extends a trend for Belgium, who have now lost four straight World Cup knockout ties against European sides, excluding third-place matches.

Spain's 18-year-old Lamine Yamal started the match despite a minor hamstring issue. While he remained a captivating presence on the right flank, he had a relatively quiet tournament with one goal and zero assists in five games. In the starting lineup, Fabian Ruiz played in place of Pedri, continuing a run of efficiency with three goals and two assists in eight career major tournament starts.

Following the match, Luis de la Fuente praised Merino's versatility, noting he can play as a pivot, a six, an eight, a 10, or a false nine. Regarding the upcoming match against France, de la Fuente described it as the final before the final and noted that the team will need the best version of ourselves to beat the great giant of football.

For Belgium, the exit may signal the end of a "golden generation," with veterans like Kevin De Bruyne, Thibaut Courtois, and Romelu Lukaku likely playing their final World Cup match.