FIFA World Cup 2026 Quarter-Final: Spain faced Belgium as both teams bid to take one step further to World Cup glory.
Spain 2-1 Belgium
Spain reached their first World Cup semi-final since 2010 after a late win over Belgium in Los Angeles. For the second game running, the European champions left it late to progress in this World Cup.
They started the game on top against a Belgium side shorn of two quality players. Amadou Onana was ruled out already with an ACL rupture in the last 16 win over USA, and they lost Youri Tielemans to an injury during the warm-up to this game. Still, they didn’t look out of sorts against a Spanish side full of attacking riches.
Lamine Yamal tried his luck after cutting inside from the left side on a couple of occasions but couldn’t trouble Thibaut Courtois. On the half-hour mark, they had their goal. Pedro Porro whizzed in a cross that found Dani Olmo. Courtois did well to save his strike but could parry the ball as far as Fabian Ruiz, who fired in the rebound.
Yamal kept probing, but Rudi Garcia’s men were level in the 41st minute. Timothy Castagne delivered a cross from the right wing, and De Ketelaere, who scored two against USA, powered in front of Pau Cubarsi to head past Unai Simon. This was the first goal Spain conceded in this World Cup.
The second half saw La Roja come again in search of a second goal, but Courtois kept out a testing effort from Mikel Oyarzabal. However, in the 71st minute the veteran goalkeeper was in tears as he had to leave the field after suffering what appeared to be a thigh injury. In the final quarter of the game, Spain looked far from their best but had the winner two minutes from time.
Senne Lammens, who had come on to replace Courtois, spilled Cubarsi’s long-range effort, and substitute Mikel Merino was on hand to fire a finish into the net. It was Merino’s stoppage-time goal that knocked out Portugal in the previous round, and he repeated the trick in the quarter-final.
Curva Analysis
Belgium’s golden generation is finally laid to rest. Over the years and across many tournaments, a team of talented players, while impressive, failed to win a trophy. Coming into this World Cup, this was going to be their last chance to fulfill their undoubted potential. But an exit in the quarter-final in USA means it could well be the final World Cup for the likes of Courtois, Kevin de Bruyne, Thomas Meunier, and Leandro Trossard.
The focus should definitely turn to the future, and the country still has a talent pool capable of developing into a winning side. In Rudi Garcia, they have the coach who can undertake this task. The French coach has shown that he cares little for reputations and big names. In the round of 32, when they were two goals down to Senegal, he had no hesitation in taking off de Bruyne and Jeremy Doku.
He encourages a flowing style of play, makes players feel good about themselves, and can be pragmatic when needed, unlike his predecessor. These are the qualities Belgium will need as they look to transition to the next phase of their footballing journey.
Spain, meanwhile, have been dominant without being spectacular so far. Luis de la Fuente’s side have not been at their fluid best in this tournament as they were during Euro 2024, with prodigy Lamine Yamal yet to light up the stage. But they are getting the job done.
Perhaps it is a case of the team being more mature and less adventurous while still having the quality to eke out wins. Their fans will be eager to see them play with more panache and creative flair.
Heading into the tournament, they were labelled as favourites to go all the way, with some even expecting them to brush aside teams. While they remain on course to win a second World Cup, they haven’t exactly run over teams. That is something that their semi-final opponents France have done.
It is possible that the last four clash in Dallas on July 14 brings out the best in Spain. The prospect is mouth-watering with the enticing Lamine Yamal vs. Kylian Mbappe matchup in the offing. We will be seated.
READ MORE: FIFA World Cup 2026 Quarter-Final: Kylian Mbappe fires France to win over Morocco
