Spain, the "Invincible Armada," advanced to the semifinals of the 2026 World Cup in North America on the strength of Mikel Merino's substitute winner, his second in as many matches. Their semifinal opponent will be France, whom they faced in the Euro 2024 semifinals.
Spain defeated Belgium 2-1 in the FIFA World Cup quarterfinal held at Los Angeles Stadium in California, United States, on the 11th (Korea time). With the match heading toward extra time, Merino's left foot found the back of Belgium's net in the 88th minute, just two minutes after coming on as a substitute.
Spain struck first. In the 30th minute, right back Pedro Porro cut inside along the flank and delivered a cutback. When the goalkeeper parried Dani Olmo's right-footed shot, Fabian Ruiz followed up with another shot in front of goal to open the scoring.
Belgium's response came 11 minutes later. In the 41st minute, Timothy Castagne delivered a cross from the right, and Charles De Ketelaere redirected it with a header at the near post to level the match. It was De Ketelaere's third goal of the tournament, following his two goals in the round-of-16 match against the United States.
The goal also ended a World Cup record run for Spain goalkeeper Unai Simon. His streak of consecutive matches without conceding, which had continued since the 2022 Qatar tournament, ended at seven matches, and his shutout time ended at 649 minutes. Both are World Cup records. It was also the first time Spain, the only team without a conceded goal in the tournament, gave up a goal.
The turning point came at Belgium's goal in the middle of the second half. Goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois complained of discomfort in his left thigh and was replaced by Senne Lammens in the 71st minute. That substitution ultimately proved decisive. In the 88th minute, Spanish defender Pau Cubarsi struck a low, powerful long-range shot that Lammens failed to clear properly, and Merino pounced on the loose ball. Merino, who had come on as a substitute against Portugal in the round of 16 (1-0), scored the winner as a substitute in his second consecutive match.
It was the first time Spain reached the World Cup quarterfinals since the 2010 South Africa tournament, which they won, 16 years ago. Riding the momentum to the semifinals, Spain will face France at Dallas Stadium in the United States at 4 a.m. on the 15th for a place in the final. The two teams met in the Euro 2024 semifinals, when Spain defeated France and then went on to beat England in the final to claim the European title. France, two-time champions in 1998 and 2018, are aiming for their third overall title, eight years on.
Belgium fought without a full-strength squad. Captain Youri Tielemans withdrew during pre-match warmups with signs of a hamstring problem, and Amadou Onana was also sidelined with a knee ligament injury, leaving a gap in midfield. For Romelu Lukaku (33) and Kevin De Bruyne (35), the last pride of the "golden generation," this tournament appears likely to be their final World Cup.
