Spain defeated Belgium 2-1 at the Los Angeles Stadium. They are in the semi-finals of the FIFA World Cup 2026, where France await them in Dallas on July 15. It again took a late Mikel Merino rebound in the 88th minute to settle it — but in truth, this was a quarter-final Spain deserved to win. Their football, across long stretches, was among the best seen at this tournament.
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The Football That Made It Look Easy
The scoreline tells one story. The football told another. Spain did not simply beat Belgium — they moved through them, around them, and in between them in ways that looked at times almost casual. Pedro Porro, Lamine Yamal, and Dani Olmo combined in sequences of quick one-touch passing and sudden dribbles that drew Belgium’s defensive lines out of shape repeatedly. Their movement was continuous, their decision-making sharp, and their execution under pressure — against a Belgium side that defended with a heavy, organised block — was outstanding.
None of it was effortless. Off the ball, Spain’s attackers were making runs into channels that Belgium were actively closing. Their defenders — Porro, Cubarsí, Cucurella — were not simply defending. They were initiating attacks, driving forward at the right moments, and providing the extra man in midfield that Spain’s system demands. Belgium did not make it easy. Spain made it look that way anyway.
On Belgium’s side, Jeremy Doku was the one constant attacking threat — driving from the left flank repeatedly, attempting to take on Spain’s midfield with pace and directness on multiple occasions. He caused problems every time he ran.
30th Minute — Ruiz Pounces for the Opener
Spain took the lead the way Spain do — through combination, through pressure, through someone arriving late from an unexpected position. Dani Olmo drove a powerful strike at Thibaut Courtois, who repelled it well — but Fabian Ruiz, surprise starter for Luis de la Fuente, was first to the rebound and slotted it calmly into the back of the net. 1-0. Los Angeles Stadium erupted in the red and gold of Spain’s supporters.
41st Minute — De Ketelaere Ends Spain’s Historic Streak
Belgium’s equaliser, when it came, was a goal of real quality. Kevin De Bruyne threaded an intuitive pass to release Timothy Castagne down the right. Castagne’s delivery was pinpoint — a cross into the near post area that De Ketelaere met on the run, creeping onside to head it past an unmoved Unai Simón. 649 minutes. That is how long Spain had gone without conceding a goal in this FIFA World Cup 2026. One moment of De Bruyne quality and Castagne precision ended it. At half-time: 1-1.
47th Minute — Courtois Defies Yamal
Two minutes after the restart came the finest individual moment of the match. Pau Cubarsi launched a brilliant line-breaking pass that released Lamine Yamal completely clean into the Belgian box. One-on-one, Yamal cut inside and fired a low side-footed shot towards the bottom-left corner. Courtois, imposing in goal, used his massive frame to cut down the angle and got his left leg to the ball in a spectacular reaction save. The stadium groaned. It was the save of the match, and possibly one of the saves of the tournament.
71st Minute — Courtois Departs
The match’s decisive swing came not from a goal but from an injury. Thibaut Courtois — who had been Belgium’s last line of defence and perhaps their best player in the first half — was forced off in the 71st minute. Backup goalkeeper Senne Lammens came on. Belgium had lost their most important player.
88th Minute — Merino Wins It
The winning goal came from the kind of sequence Spain had been threatening to produce all evening. Pau Cubarsi charged forward from deep and unleashed a blistering long-range drive. Lammens, under genuine pressure, failed to hold it — the ball spilled loose into the box. Mikel Merino had been on the pitch for exactly two minutes. He reacted before any Belgian defender could react, lashing the loose ball into the roof of the net. 2-1. Spain.
Merino’s tournament is becoming a story unto itself — the goal against Portugal in the Round of 16, and now this. Coming off the bench and delivering in the highest-pressure moments is a very specific kind of quality. Spain have found someone who did it twice.
Full Time
Spain 2-1 Belgium. Spain advance to the semi-finals of the FIFA World Cup 2026, where France await them in Dallas on July 15 at 12:30 AM IST. This was a performance that deserved the result. Spain’s football was beautiful in phases and relentless throughout. Belgium gave them a genuine contest. Courtois’s injury, Merino’s impact off the bench, Cubarsi’s composure at both ends — the detail of this quarter-final will be picked over for days.
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The headline is simple: Spain vs France. Semi-final. Dallas. July 15.
Spain vs France — FIFA World Cup 2026 semi-final. July 15, 12:30 AM IST, live on ZEE 5. Watch every remaining FIFA World Cup 2026 match in India on ZEE 5 FIFA Subscription.
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