The Spanish team defeated Belgium 2-1 in Los Angeles and reached the semifinals of the 2026 World Cup thanks to goals from Fabián Ruiz and Mikel Merino, two midfielders who appeared inside the box when the match demanded it most.
Fabián opened the scoring in the 30th minute after capitalizing on a rebound from Thibaut Courtois. Charles De Ketelaere equalized with a header before halftime, breaking the clean sheet Spain had maintained throughout the championship.
When the match seemed headed for extra time, Merino once again became the hero. He came on in the 86th minute and scored just two minutes later, collecting a ball that Senne Lammens failed to hold after a long shot from Pau Cubarsí.
Spain will now play France for a place in the World Cup final.
Fabián Ruiz opens the way for Spain
The first goal originated on the right wing.
Pedro Porro combined with Lamine Yamal and sent a low ball into the box. Dani Olmo shot first-time and Courtois responded with a great save, but could not block the ball.
Fabián Ruiz arrived before anyone else to collect the rebound and send the ball into the back of the Belgian net.
The midfielder had entered the starting lineup in place of Pedri and responded with the goal that put Spain ahead in the 30th minute.
The play summarized one of La Roja's great virtues: quick circulation, attacks from the second line, and several players capable of appearing in the box without solely relying on the forwards.
De Ketelaere breaks Spain's clean sheet
Belgium had barely managed to threaten Unai Simón, but they took advantage of their first major opportunity.
Kevin De Bruyne opened up play to the right and Castagne found space to cross. De Ketelaere anticipated Cubarsí and connected with a header that beat the Spanish goalkeeper in the 41st minute.
The Belgian forward confirmed the great form he had already shown against the United States, a match in which he had scored two goals.
His goal also had special significance: it was the first that Spain conceded during the 2026 World Cup.
The Spanish team went into halftime with the feeling that they had controlled a good part of the match, but without having been able to convert that dominance into a sufficient lead.
Courtois keeps Belgium alive
Courtois was one of the key figures of the match.
The Real Madrid goalkeeper prevented several Spanish goals and kept Belgium in the tie during the moments of greatest dominance by La Roja.
He responded to Dani Olmo, Lamine Yamal, and the runs of the Spanish midfielders. His performance seemed destined to become Spain's main obstacle.
But in the second half, he began to feel muscular discomfort. Courtois tried to continue, although he finally asked to be substituted in the 71st minute and left the field in tears.
Senne Lammens came on in his place to play the decisive minutes.
Ferran Torres and Pedri change the pace
Luis de la Fuente made changes from the bench in search of the second goal.
Pedri and Ferran Torres came on in the 56th minute for Fabián Ruiz and Álex Baena. Spain gained freshness, mobility, and a greater ability to find spaces in the Belgian defense.
Ferran moved between the center-backs and gave depth to the Spanish attacks, while Pedri helped Rodri regain control of the midfield.
Belgium responded by bringing on Romelu Lukaku, seeking a more physical presence to attack with long balls and crosses from the wings.
The match then entered a more open phase, with Spain accumulating possession and Belgium waiting for the moment to launch Doku, De Bruyne, or Lukaku.
Mikel Merino saves Spain again
Mikel Merino had been the hero against Portugal and once again decided another tie.
The midfielder came on for Dani Olmo in the 86th minute. Just two minutes later, Pau Cubarsí took a shot from distance that bounced in front of Lammens.
The Belgian goalkeeper failed to control the ball and left it loose inside the area.
Merino reacted faster than the defenders, collected the rebound, and scored to make it 2-1.
The goal unleashed Spanish celebrations and left a difficult image for Belgium: Courtois, already on the bench due to injury, watching as his substitute made the error that decided the quarterfinals.
Merino once again puts his name on a decisive page for Spain. He scored against Portugal in the round of 16 and repeated against Belgium in the quarterfinals.
Lammens, from prospect to unfortunate protagonist
Senne Lammens became one of the names of the match after replacing Courtois.
The Belgian goalkeeper came on in an extremely delicate situation: a draw, the quarterfinals, and a Spain increasing the pressure in the final minutes.
Until the goal-scoring play, he had exuded confidence, but he misjudged Cubarsí's shot. The ball did not have excessive power, although the bounce complicated the save.
His rebound left the ball at Merino's disposal, who did not miss.
The play explains why Lammens immediately appeared among the related searches for Spain-Belgium.
Lukaku doesn't find the equalizer
Belgium sought the final equalizer through Lukaku.
The forward came on in the second half to offer physical presence, pin back the center-backs, and attack the crosses coming from the wings.
After Merino's goal, Belgium had seven minutes of added time and loaded the Spanish area with high balls.
Lukaku tried to impose himself on Laporte and Cubarsí, but Spain defended the final deliveries and Unai Simón protected the lead.
The Spanish team did not lose its structure despite the final Belgian push and managed to secure a victory much harder-fought than the initial dominance had suggested.
Lamine Yamal always finds a crack
Lamine Yamal was another of the main names of the match.
The Spanish winger constantly punished the Belgian defense from the right and forced Doku and De Cuyper to multiply their efforts to stop him.
He participated in the play for the first goal by linking up with Pedro Porro and created several chances during the match.
Courtois prevented his performance from also ending with a goal, but Lamine's threat conditioned Belgium's defensive system all night.
Even when he doesn't finish the plays, his ability to attract opponents creates space for the runs of Olmo, Fabián, Porro, or the forwards.
Spain breaks the quarter-final barrier again
Spain had only reached one World Cup semi-final before this tournament.
It was in South Africa 2010, when they ended up lifting their first World Cup.
Since then, the quarter-finals had remained a distant frontier. In 2026, La Roja overcomes it again after consecutively eliminating Austria, Portugal, and Belgium.
Luis de la Fuente's team has shown different registers during the tournament: possession dominance, pressing, defensive capability, and decisive goals from the bench.
The victory against Belgium confirms that Spain does not need to play its best game to survive a knockout tie.
France awaits in the semi-finals
The next opponent will be France.
The French team eliminated Morocco 2-0 with goals from Kylian Mbappé and Ousmane Dembélé and reached their third consecutive World Cup semi-final.
The Spain-France match will be played on Tuesday, July 14, in Dallas, at 9:00 PM in Spain.
It will be a repeat of the Euro 2024 semi-finals, when Spain came back from an initial French goal and ended up winning 2-1.
France will seek to avenge that elimination. Spain will try to repeat the result and reach the second World Cup final in its history.
Fabián and Merino, the two unexpected goalscorers
The two Spanish goals were scored by midfielders.
Fabián Ruiz appeared to take advantage of Courtois's rebound. Mikel Merino did the same against Lammens.
Ferran Torres, Lamine Yamal, Oyarzabal, or Dani Olmo did not score. It was Fabián and Merino who decided the match from second-line positions.
That distribution of responsibility has become one of Spain's strengths: any player can make the difference.
Merino, moreover, confirms a special relationship with the final minutes. Two consecutive knockout stages, two decisive appearances, and two goals that keep La Roja alive. Belgium could have rescued themselves in the final stretch.