Mikel Merino (center) celebrates with his Spanish teammates after scoring the decisive late goal against Belgium to secure a 2-1 victory in Los Angeles.
Spain defeated Belgium 2-1 in a thrilling FIFA World Cup 2026 quarter-final clash at the Los Angeles Stadium (SoFi Stadium) on Friday, July 10, 2026, thanks to a dramatic 88th-minute winner from super-sub Mikel Merino.
Match Summary Table
| Statistic | Spain national football team logoSpain | Belgium national football team logoBelgium |
|---|---|---|
| Goals | 2 (Fabián Ruiz 30′, Mikel Merino 88′) | 1 (Charles De Ketelaere 41′) |
| Possession | 68% | 32% |
| Shots (On Target) | 17 (8) | 5 (2) |
| Accurate Passes | 598 (90%) | 243 (78%) |
| Expected Goals (xG) | 1.96 | 0.34 |
Introduction: A Clash of European Titans in Hollywood
The lights of the Los Angeles Stadium (SoFi Stadium) in Inglewood, California, never shone brighter than on the evening of Friday, July 10, 2026. Two of European football’s most distinct powerhouses—the reigning European champions Spain and a highly resilient Belgium—collided in a blockbuster FIFA World Cup 2026 quarter-final. With a coveted spot in the semi-finals on the line, the stakes could not have been higher.
Luis de la Fuente’s Spain entered the match riding an extraordinary wave of momentum, stretching their historic unbeaten run to an outright national record of 37 competitive matches. Crucially, they brought a defensive record that had not leaked a single goal throughout the entire tournament.
On the other side, Rudi Garcia’s Belgium arrived full of confidence following a comprehensive 4-1 demolition of co-hosts the United States in the Round of 16. What unfolded over the next 90 minutes was an unforgettable chess match of tactical ingenuity, heartbreaking injuries, historic milestones, and late-game drama that epitomised the magic of the World Cup.
Team News and Pre-Match Disruption
Before the first whistle even blew, drama struck the Belgian camp. During the pre-match warm-up, Belgium’s captain and midfield engine, Youri Tielemans, suffered an unexpected injury, forcing him to withdraw from the starting lineup. This late disruption forced Rudi Garcia to reshuffle his pack, throwing Hans Vanaken and Nicolas Raskin into the central battleground alongside the iconic Kevin De Bruyne. Up front, the Red Devils trusted the red-hot Charles De Ketelaere to lead the line, flanked by the blistering pace of Jérémy Doku and Leandro Trossard.
Spain, conversely, had their own tactical surprises. Manager Luis de la Fuente raised eyebrows by giving Fabián Ruiz a surprise start in midfield at the expense of Pedri, partnering him with the immovable Rodri. Dani Olmo was tasked with pulling the creative strings behind a front three composed of the electrifying 18-year-old sensation Lamine Yamal, Álex Baena, and the experienced Mikel Oyarzabal.
First Half: Spain Dominate, Belgium Counter-Punch
From the kickoff, La Roja asserted their trademark control. Utilizing their fluid passing and high pressing, Spain pinned Belgium deep into their own half, dominating nearly 68% of the possession. The opening phase was defined by the relentless attacking threat of Lamine Yamal on the right flank. The teenager continually terrified the Belgian backline, cutting inside with razor-sharp precision and flashing an early attempt narrowly wide of Thibaut Courtois’s post.
Spain’s overwhelming pressure finally told in the 30th minute. Right-back Pedro Porro linked up seamlessly with Yamal, exchanging a neat one-two before drilling a low, hard cross into the heart of the penalty area. Dani Olmo met the delivery with a fierce, instinctive first-time strike. The great Thibaut Courtois showcased his world-class reflexes, diving low to repel the initial effort. However, the Belgian defense failed to react to the rebound, allowing the surprise starter, Fabián Ruiz, to ghost in and scramble the loose ball home into the net. The Spanish contingent inside SoFi Stadium erupted as La Roja took a deserved 1-0 lead.
The goal seemed to galvanise Belgium, who refused to crumble under the Spanish possession machine. As the first half drew to a close, Kevin De Bruyne began to assert his world-class vision, exploiting the slight defensive spaces left by Spain’s advancing full-backs. In the 41st minute, De Bruyne picked the Spanish lock. Spotting an overload on the right wing, the Belgian maestro delivered a perfectly timed pass to overlapping right-back Timothy Castagne.
Castagne whipped a magnificent, looping cross into the box. Sneaking past Spain’s young center-back Pau Cubarsí and beating the offside trap, Charles De Ketelaere rose highest to plant an emphatic header past a helpless Unai Simón.
The goal sent shockwaves through the tournament: it was the very first goal Spain had conceded in the 2026 World Cup, snapping goalkeeper Unai Simón’s historic streak of 650 consecutive minutes without conceding a goal in major tournament football. Against the run of play, Belgium had fought their way back, and both teams headed down the tunnel at half-time locked at 1-1.
Second Half: Strategic Warfare and Crucial Injuries
The second half saw the intensity escalate dramatically. Spain immediately sought to re-establish their dominance, moving the ball with greater urgency. Lamine Yamal and Mikel Oyarzabal continually tested the Belgian backline, forcing Courtois into several trademark saves. Spain’s expected goals (xG) metric began to mount, eventually climbing to a dominant 1.96, reflecting the high-quality chances they were creating.
However, Belgium remained incredibly dangerous on the counter-attack, despite producing a modest 0.34 xG across the match. Jérémy Doku served as the primary outlet, using his stocky build and remarkable dribbling skills to outmuscle markers and spark rapid transitions alongside De Bruyne.
The defining turning point of the half arrived in the 71st minute, struck by a cruel twist of fate for the Red Devils. Thibaut Courtois, who had been a literal wall in goal making six crucial saves, went down with a severe thigh injury. Visibly emotional and unable to continue, the towering goalkeeper left the field in tears.
With no remaining option, Garcia introduced 24-year-old Senne Lammens into the high-stakes pressure cooker of a World Cup quarter-final. Lammens became the first goalkeeper other than Courtois to play for Belgium in a World Cup match since 2002, and his lack of international experience would soon take center stage.
As the clock ticked down, the match grew increasingly physical and bad-tempered. Midfield battles became bogged down. Veteran Axel Witsel was booked for a cynical, late lunge on Rodri on the halfway line, while Kevin De Bruyne also see-sawed into the book, picking up a yellow card for pulling back Ferran Torres to halt a dangerous Spanish breakaway.
Sensing the need for a late spark as extra time loomed, Luis de la Fuente made a tactical gamble in the 86th minute, withdrawing Dani Olmo and unleashing his ultimate knockout specialist: Mikel Merino.
The 88th Minute: Merino Strikes Again
Luis de la Fuente’s substitution yielded immediate, golden results just one minute and 57 seconds after Merino stepped onto the grass. In the 88th minute, Spain launched a patient attack around the edge of the Belgian penalty area. The ball found its way to the teenage defender Pau Cubarsí, who unleashed a low, driven shot from considerable distance.
The shot bounced awkwardly directly in front of the substitute Belgian keeper, Senne Lammens. Lacking the certainty of Courtois, Lammens failed to hold onto the bouncing ball, spilling it directly into the six-yard box. Anticipating the mistake with world-class striking instincts, Mikel Merino lunged forward ahead of the static Belgian defenders and lashed the loose ball into the roof of the net.
It was absolute pandemonium for Spain. Merino, who had already earned a reputation as La Roja’s ultimate super-sub after netting a dramatic injury-time winner against Portugal in the Round of 16, had done it again.
Injury-Time Drama and the Final Whistle
With seven minutes of added time signaled by English referee Michael Oliver, Belgium threw caution to the wind and launched a desperate, heroic final assault. Romelu Lukaku was thrown into the fray, immediately creating physical chaos in the Spanish penalty area. In the 92nd minute, Alexis Saelemaekers brilliantly dribbled past an onrushing Unai Simón all the way to the byline, chipping a dangerous cross back into the box. Cubarsí saved Spain with a desperate, acrobatic hook clearance that flew straight back into Simón’s grateful hands.
Moments later, a high ball rained into the box. Lukaku aggressively challenged Simón in the air, causing the Spanish keeper to flap at the delivery and drop the ball under heavy aerial contact. Just as Belgian hearts leaped, the referee blew his whistle, awarding Simón a soft, relieving foul.
Deep into stoppage time, Saelemaekers floated one final free-kick into the box following a cynical yellow-card challenge from Aymeric Laporte, but the European champions used all their immense experience to head the ball clear.
When Michael Oliver blew the final whistle, the scoreboard read Spain 2, Belgium 1. Spain had officially marched into the semi-finals of the World Cup for the first time since lifting the trophy in South Africa in 2010.
Post-Match Reactions and Managerial Assessments
The post-match press conferences reflected the immense emotional contrast of the evening. Spain’s manager, Luis de la Fuente, was full of praise for his squad’s resilience and depth. “This team has an unyielding soul,” de la Fuente remarked. “When you lose players to injury or face a setback like conceding our first goal, lesser teams fracture. But Fabián stepped up magnificently, and Mikel Merino proves once again that he is a player born for the grandest stages. We are building something special, but our eyes remain firmly on the ultimate prize.”
Lamine Yamal, who was officially named the Player of the Match for his breathtaking creative display on the right wing, shared his excitement: “We knew Belgium would be our toughest test. Conceding the goal was a shock, but we never stopped believing in our style. Now we face France, and it is going to be a historic battle.”
In the Belgian camp, there was a profound sense of heartbreak mingled with immense pride, especially as this likely marked the final World Cup bow for the remaining members of the “Golden Generation”—including Courtois, Lukaku, De Bruyne, and Witsel. Coach Rudi Garcia lamented the cruel nature of injuries but refused to scapegoat his young backup keeper.
“To lose Youri before kickoff and then Thibaut during the match is a devastating blow for any team,” Garcia stated. “Senne was thrown into an impossible situation, and we stand by him completely. Fine margins decide World Cups, and tonight those margins favored Spain. I am incredibly proud of how Charles and the entire team fought. We leave with our heads held high.”
The Road Ahead: A Blockbuster Semi-Final
With this thrilling victory, Spain have set up a mouthwatering, all-European semi-final clash against Kylian Mbappé’s France, scheduled for Tuesday, July 14, 2026, at the Dallas Stadium. This highly anticipated fixture is already being hailed by pundits as the “final before the final,” pitting the relentless possession and youthful flair of Spain against the clinical execution and tournament pedigree of France. For Belgium, the defeat marks the end of an admirable campaign, while Spain move within two victories of capturing their second world title.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
1. What was the final score of the Spain vs. Belgium match?
Spain defeated Belgium 2–1 in regulation time to advance to the semi-finals.
2. Who scored the goals during the match?
- Spain: Fabián Ruiz (30′) and Mikel Merino (88′).
- Belgium: Charles De Ketelaere (41′).
3. Who was named the Player of the Match?
Spain’s 18-year-old winger Lamine Yamal was officially awarded Player of the Match for his relentless creative threat and crucial role in the build-up to the opening goal.
4. What stadium hosted this quarter-final fixture?
The match was played at the Los Angeles Stadium (SoFi Stadium) in Inglewood, California.
5. What happened to Thibaut Courtois during the game?
Belgium’s starting goalkeeper suffered a severe thigh injury in the 71st minute. He was unable to continue and had to be replaced by 24-year-old backup keeper Senne Lammens.
6. Who will Spain play next in the tournament?
Spain will face France in a massive all-European semi-final clash scheduled for Tuesday, July 14, 2026, at the Dallas Stadium.
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