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A strong confrontation in the semi-finals of the World Championship
Spain booked their place in the semi-finals of the 2026 World Cup with a hard-fought 2-1 quarter-final win over Belgium last Friday night thanks to a decisive 88th-minute goal from substitute Alberto Merino to set up a fiery showdown with France next Tuesday.
The match saw Belgium suffer from the absence of Youri Tillmans in the closing moments as he was replaced by Hans Vanaken, the veteran Club Brugge midfielder, but that did not stop the Red Devils from putting up a fierce resistance against the most popular title contenders.
Spain opened the scoring in the 30th minute through Fabian Ruiz, who latched on to Belgium goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois’s ball after Dani Olmo’s shot and slotted it into the net after Pedro Porro’s perfect pass from the right wing to Lamine Yamal.
Minutes before the end of the first half, De Quetelier equalized for Belgium (41st minute) with a powerful header from Castan’s pass, his first goal since the start of the tournament against Spain after 650 minutes of tough defending.
The second half saw continued Spanish pressure, but Belgium almost grabbed the lead with De Kuyper’s powerful strike hitting the post in the 55th minute before coach Luis de la Fuente brought on Pedri and Ferran Torres to spark the attack.
Belgium suffered a heavy blow in the 72nd minute when their star goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois left with a thigh injury. He left the field in tears and was replaced by Manchester United goalkeeper Sean Lammens, who had a decisive impact on the course of the match.
De La Fuente brought on Neco Williams and Merino in an attempt to break the deadlock, and the response was swift as Merino pounced on Lamens’ handball after Cobarci’s rocket on the edge of the box to slot it into the net (88th minute) and give Spain valuable qualification.
With the win, Spain continue their strong run in the tournament and set up a semi-final with France next Tuesday, in a clash between two European giants looking to reach the final.
