Mikel Merino turned a tense quarter-final into Spanish relief, scoring in the 88th minute to give Spain a 2-1 win over Belgium at SoFi Stadium and a place in the World Cup semi-finals.
Spain seize control before Belgium answer
Spain took the match where they wanted it early, keeping 68% possession while Belgium looked for breaks through Kevin De Bruyne, Jérémy Doku and Charles De Ketelaere. That control paid off in the 30th minute, when Fabián Ruiz reacted to a rebound after Dani Olmo’s effort and put Spain ahead.
Belgium’s response came before the interval. In the 41st minute, Timothy Castagne delivered from the right and De Ketelaere headed in for 1-1, the first goal Spain had conceded at this World Cup after arriving with 5 clean sheets and a GF 9 GA 0 tournament line.
Courtois injury rocks Belgium resistance
The Thibaut Courtois injury became the match’s brutal swing. Belgium’s goalkeeper had already stopped Lamine Yamal and punched clear under pressure, but in the 71st minute he went off in tears with a muscle problem and was replaced by Senne Lammens.
Belgium had already lost captain Youri Tielemans from the starting XI after a warm-up injury, with Hans Vanaken stepping in. They also appealed in the 62nd minute when the ball struck Rodri’s hand, but Michael Oliver gave no penalty because it had come off Spain teammate Aymeric Laporte.
Merino fires Spain into France showdown
Spain’s numbers made the late pressure feel inevitable: 16 shots to Belgium’s 5, 7 on target to 2, 5 corners to 1 and 582 completed passes to Belgium’s 242. Belgium committed 16 fouls to Spain’s 13, while Spain collected 2 yellow cards and Belgium 1.
Merino had only come on in the 86th minute for Olmo when the decisive chance arrived. Pau Cubarsí was allowed space to shoot from around 20 metres, Lammens pushed the ball out poorly, and Merino finished from close range for 2-1.
Spain, who reached this stage after eliminating Portugal in the round of 16, now face France in the semi-final on Tuesday, 14 July at 21:00 CET. Belgium, through to the quarter-finals after knocking out the USA, exit after a night that turned on resilience, injury and one late rebound.
Match Information
Competition: World Cup, Quarter-finals
Date & Time: Friday 10 July 2026, 21:00 CET
Venue: SoFi Stadium, Los Angeles
Referee: Michael Oliver, England
