Spain advanced to the World Cup semifinals after a 2-1 victory over Belgium in the quarterfinals, secured by an 88th-minute goal from Mikel Merino. The win marks Spain’s first appearance in the final four of a World Cup since their title win 16 years ago. Spain is scheduled to face France in the semifinals on July 14 in Dallas.
Merino’s Late Strike Settles Quarterfinal
Mikel Merino, the Arsenal midfielder, scored the decisive goal in the 88th minute to break a 1-1 deadlock. The goal resulted from a mistake by Belgian substitute goalkeeper Senne Lammens, who failed to hold onto a shot from Pau Cubarsi, allowing Merino to tap in the rebound. This marks the second time Merino has scored a winning goal in the knockout stages of this tournament, having previously scored the winner against Portugal in the round of 16.
“I’m overjoyed,” Merino said after the match. “I’m getting used to it. I came on and scored the goal that was decisive shortly before the end.”
Fabián Ruiz Opens Scoring as Unai Simon’s Record Ends
Spain took an early lead in the 30th minute when Fabián Ruiz scored from approximately seven meters. The goal followed a shot by Dani Olmo that was parried by Belgian goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois, leaving Ruiz to finish the rebound. Spain’s manager, Luis de la Fuente, opted to start Ruiz over Pedri, who remained on the bench for the match.
Belgium equalized in the 41st minute via a header from Charles De Ketelaere. The goal was the result of a sequence involving Jeremy Doku, Kevin De Bruyne, and Timothy Castagne. De Ketelaere’s strike ended a clean-sheet streak for Spanish goalkeeper Unai Simon that had lasted 649 minutes. Simon had previously surpassed the World Cup record of 517 minutes held by Italy’s Walter Zenga during Spain’s round of 32 match against Austria.
Belgian Roster Disruptions and Goalkeeping Crisis
Belgium entered the match with several last-minute changes to their starting lineup. Aston Villa midfielder Youri Tielemans was ruled out after an injury during warm-ups and was replaced by Hans Vanaken of Club Brugge. Kevin De Bruyne also returned to the starting eleven after being absent from the 4-1 win over the USA.
The match saw a significant shift in Belgian fortunes when Thibaut Courtois was forced off in the 71st minute due to thigh problems. Courtois, who has played 21 World Cup matches—second only to Manuel Neuer’s 23—was replaced by Manchester United’s Senne Lammens. Lammens remained untested for much of his appearance until the mistake that led to Merino’s game-winning goal.
Belgium’s head coach, Rudi Garcia, noted the impact of the injuries and the narrow margins of the game. “Against a team like this, you cannot make mistakes,” Garcia said. “It was a game on equal footing, especially after we equalized. Sometimes details count, and today it just wasn’t enough.”
Match Statistics and Tactical Control
Spain maintained dominant possession throughout the contest at the Los Angeles Stadium, which saw an attendance of 70,492. Within the first 15 minutes, Spain had recorded double the number of passes compared to Belgium. Spain created several high-quality chances, including a 52nd-minute effort from Lamine Yamal that narrowly missed the near post.
Belgium relied heavily on the dribbling of Jeremy Doku to disrupt the Spanish defense and threatened the goal with a shot from Maxim De Cuyper in the 55th minute. The introduction of Romelu Lukaku after the 60th minute drew significant crowd reaction and increased Belgian pressure in the final third before the late Spanish goal.
| Key Statistic | Spain | Belgium |
|---|---|---|
| Final Score | 2 | 1 |
| Goal Scorers | Ruiz, Merino | De Ketelaere |
| Goalkeeper Minutes (Clean) | 649 (Simon) | N/A |
| Attendance | 70,492 (Los Angeles Stadium) | |
Spain now moves forward to face France on July 14 in Dallas. “Now comes the next task we have in front of us,” Merino said. “There are two games left and then we hope we can keep our dream alive.”
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