Spain clinched a 2-1 victory against Belgium in the FIFA 2026 World Cup quarter-final held in Inglewood, California, on Friday. Substitute Mikel Merino scored the decisive goal, propelling La Roja into the tournament’s last four.
Merino’s remarkable comeback from a stress fracture in his right foot, which sidelined him for much of 2026 and required two months on crutches, has vindicated coach Luis de la Fuente’s confidence. Spain now prepares to face France in the semi-final scheduled for Tuesday in Arlington, Texas. The winner will advance to the World Cup final on July 19 in East Rutherford, New Jersey.
France aims to reach their third consecutive final, having defeated Croatia in 2018 before falling to Argentina in 2022. They also seek revenge after Spain eliminated them 2-1 in the 2024 European Championship semifinals.
Spanish forward Lamine Yamal expressed confidence after the Belgium match, stating that France should be more apprehensive given Spain’s previous victory over them. He acknowledged both teams as among the world’s best and emphasized Spain’s determination to reach the final again.
Merino, who injured his foot in late January and underwent surgery that initially seemed to rule him out of the World Cup, came off the bench to score a stoppage-time winner against Portugal in the round of 16. He repeated this feat on Friday, netting the winning goal in the 88th minute shortly after entering the game against an injury-hit Belgium side.
His goal came from a rebound after substitute goalkeeper Senne Lammens failed to hold a soft shot by Pau Cubarsi. Lammens had replaced the injured Thibaut Courtois, who made four saves before leaving the match in the 71st minute due to a quad injury.
In a tense moment during second-half stoppage time, Spain defender Aymeric Laporte cleared a ball off the line to prevent a goal, rescuing goalkeeper Unai Simon.
Belgium faced setbacks before and during the match. Captain and midfielder Youri Tielemans was ruled out due to an injury sustained during warm-ups, with Hans Vanaken taking his place. Coach Rudi Garcia lamented the misfortunes, including losing their goalkeeper and captain, as well as having to substitute Kevin De Bruyne, which disrupted their game plan.
Spain had maintained a clean sheet through their first five matches but found themselves level 1-1 at halftime. Fabian Ruiz put Spain ahead in the 30th minute by capitalizing on a rebound from Dani Olmo’s shot. Belgium equalized in the 41st minute through a header by Charles De Ketelaere.
Spain nearly scored earlier in the 21st minute when Yamal’s shot missed the target. Shortly after, a cross from Pedro Porro set up Olmo, whose shot forced a save from Courtois, allowing Ruiz to score on the rebound. However, Belgium’s De Ketelaere managed to break through Spain’s defense to level the score before halftime.
Yamal noted the challenge of facing teams that adopt a defensive approach against Spain but expressed satisfaction with the victory. Merino highlighted the significance of competing against top teams like France in the upcoming semifinal, emphasizing both confidence and respect for their opponent.
Belgium’s 18-match unbeaten run came to an end, while Spain extended their own unbeaten streak to a national record of 36 matches, comprising 27 wins and nine draws since a loss to Colombia in March 2024. A win against France would see Spain equal Italy’s all-time record of 37 matches without defeat.
