Spain v Belgium World Cup 2026

Spain v Belgium, World Cup 2026

Spain beat Belgium 2-1 in their Quarter Final match at Sofi Stadium in LA in a tense game. Substitute Mikel Merino scored another late winner following his decisive goal in the Round of 32 match versus Portugal following a mistake by Manchester United's young keeper Senne Lammens. Lammens was deputising for Thibaut Courtois who went off injured and in tears in the second half.

Earlier Fabián Ruiz had given Spain the lead on the half hour mark, but Belgium equalized through the in-form Charles De Ketelaere.

Spain will now face France at the AT&T Stadium, in Dallas, Texas in the semifinals.

Lineups

Spain (4-2-3-1): GK: Unai Simón; DF: Pedro Porro, Pau Cubarsí, Aymeric Laporte, Marc Cucurella; MF: Rodri, Fabián Ruiz, Álex Baena, Dani Olmo; FW: Lamine Yamal, Mikel Oyarzabal

Substitutes used: Ferran Torres, Pedri, Mikel Merino, Nico Williams

Coach: Luis de la Fuente.

Belgium (4-2-3-1): GK: Thibaut Courtois; DF: Timothy Castagne, Nathan Ngoy, Brandon Mechele, Maxim De Cuyper; MF: Nicolas Raskin, Youri Tielemans, Kevin De Bruyne; FW: Jérémy Doku, Leandro Trossard, Charles De Ketelaere

Coach: Domenico Tedesco.

Substitutes used: Axel Witsel, Romelu Lukaku, Joaquin Seys, Senne Lammens, Alexis Saelemaekers

Goals: Ruiz (30), Merino (88); De Ketelaere (41).

Referee: Michael Oliver (England)

Attendance: 70,492