Half-time at the Los Angeles Stadium: Spain 1–1 Belgium.
In forty-one minutes of football, Belgium did something no side had managed across Spain’s entire FIFA World Cup 2026™ campaign — they scored. Charles De Ketelaere’s cool finish in the 41st minute ended Spain’s run of six consecutive World Cup clean sheets, the most remarkable defensive record in this tournament. It is 1-1. Everything is still to play for.
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The Opening — Both Sides Mean Business
This was never going to be a cagey quarter-final. Spain played with the fluency and confidence of a side that has not been troubled defensively all tournament. Lamine Yamal, Dani Olmo, and Alex Baena were combining quickly, turning in tight spaces, and threading passes into channels that Belgium were struggling to close. Jeremy Doku was Belgium’s most dangerous outlet, making driving runs down the left flank that stretched Spain’s right side and gave De Bruyne options when the ball circulated back to him.
12th Minute — Baena’s Chance Goes Begging
Spain‘s first real opening fell to Baena in the 12th minute, who ran onto a line-breaking pass inside the box before pushing his shot wide under heavy pressure from Nathan Ngoy. However, the missed opportunity ultimately wouldn’t have counted anyway, as the linesman raised the flag to signal that Baena had run into an offside position.
30th Minute — Spain Take the Lead
Spain’s opener was a goal built on combination and instinct. Pedro Porro and Lamine Yamal linked sharply on the right before Porro delivered a low cross into the box. Dani Olmo met it cleanly — and Courtois, outstanding throughout this tournament, made a brilliant initial save. The ball broke loose. Fabián Ruiz reacted first and smashed the rebound into the net. 1-0 Spain.
33rd Minute — Yamal’s Solo Run
Three minutes later, Lamine Yamal reminded everyone in the stadium why he is the most exciting young player on the planet. He picked up the ball on the right flank, drove inside past one Belgian defender, then a second, dazzling footwork in a burst of acceleration that left SoFi Stadium on its feet. It was Jeremy Doku who eventually brought him down just outside the box — a cynical but necessary foul from a Belgium perspective. Dangerous free kick for Spain.
35th Minute — Courtois Denies Yamal Again
Baena stepped over the ball as a dummy to wrong-foot the Belgian wall. Yamal stepped up and drove a low, powerful left-footed shot towards the bottom-left corner. Courtois, already a match for everything Spain had thrown at him, read it perfectly — dropping low to make a sharp diving save. Spain’s defenders scrambled the loose ball clear before Dani Olmo could turn in another rebound. The scoreline stayed at 1-0. Just.
41st Minute — De Ketelaere Ends the Record
Belgium‘s response was stunning in its timing and its quality. Fullback Timothy Castagne delivered an excellent ball into the box, where Charles De Ketelaere muscled past defender Pau Cubarsí. De Ketelaere powerfully headed it home past Unai Simón, making it 1-1 just before halftime. Belgium had equalised.
The significance was immediate and historic. Six consecutive FIFA World Cup™ clean sheets. Gone. Spain’s most celebrated defensive record of the tournament, built across every match from the group stage to the Round of 16 against Portugal, was erased in the 41st minute by a calm De Ketelaere finish from a Castagne delivery. The Spanish defenders stood still for a moment, as if processing what had just happened.
The Half-Time Picture
Spain have been the better side for large parts of the half — the Yamal solo run, the Ruiz rebound goal, the near-misses — but Belgium have been dangerous every time they have found space on the break, and De Ketelaere’s goal has given Tedesco’s side exactly the half-time scoreline they needed.
The clean sheet is gone. Spain must now win this match rather than simply protect a lead. Belgium, with De Bruyne pulling strings and Lukaku waiting on the bench, will fancy their chances in the second half. The quarter-final is perfectly balanced.
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