Spain is heading back to the World Cup semifinals for the first time since 2010. Substitute Mikel Merino delivered a late 88th-minute strike at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles. The goal secured a 2-1 victory over Belgium to keep La Roja’s championship hopes alive.
The quarterfinal matchup morphed into an intense war of attrition. Both sides exchanged heavy blows throughout the evening. But Spain’s depth off the bench ultimately cracked a resilient Belgian defense. They now head to a semifinal clash with France in Dallas.
What We Know
- Fabián Ruiz opened the scoring for Spain in the 30th minute.
- Charles De Ketelaere equalized in the 41st minute, snapping Spain’s 600-minute tournament shutout streak.
- Merino’s winner marked his second consecutive late-game scoring strike off the bench.
- The defeat officially ends Belgium’s 19-game unbeaten run.
Spain dictated the early tempo. Fabián Ruiz found the back of the net 30 minutes into the first half to put the favorites ahead. But the advantage vanished fast. Charles De Ketelaere broke through the Spanish backline and headed a shot past Unai Simón in the 41st minute. That equalizer ended a historic run. It marked the very first goal conceded by the Spanish defense in this tournament.
The match momentum completely fractured in the 71st minute. Starter Thibaut Courtois suffered a thigh injury and left the pitch in tears. This forced backup goalkeeper Senne Lammens into a high-pressure situation. Lammens held the line for nearly 20 minutes before Merino pounced.
Merino crashed the box and capitalized on a rebound given up by Lammens with just two minutes remaining in regulation. That finish mirrored his exact heroics from the round of 16 against Portugal.
This result reinforces a long-standing European hierarchy. The victory extends Spain’s unbeaten streak to 36 matches overall and their head-to-head dominance over Belgium to 12 games.