Spain survived Belgium, Merino struck late again, and France now waits
Spain is back in the World Cup semifinals. It arrived there the way special teams often do: controlling long stretches, absorbing a serious blow and finding Mikel Merino when the match appeared headed for extra time.
La Roja defeated Belgium 2-1 in Los Angeles and reached its first World Cup semifinal since winning the title in 2010. Fabián Ruiz opened the scoring, Charles De Ketelaere equalized before halftime and Merino settled the quarterfinal in the 88th minute after coming off the bench.
This was not a comfortable qualification. It was the kind of win associated with a genuine contender. Spain controlled possession, dictated the pace and created more chances. Belgium resisted, hit back and came close to extending the night. The difference arrived where World Cups are often decided: a rebound, a faster reaction and one player ready for the chaos.
Spain took control, but Belgium refused to disappear
Spain started with the clear intention of owning the match. It moved the ball patiently, stretched the field and forced Belgium into long defensive phases. Luis de la Fuente made a major call by leaving Pedri out of the starting lineup and trusting Fabián Ruiz alongside Rodri in midfield.
The decision paid off directly. In the 30th minute, Dani Olmo fired, Thibaut Courtois pushed the shot away and Fabián reacted first to make it 1-0.
Spain appeared to have the match exactly where it wanted it. Belgium responded before halftime. Timothy Castagne delivered the cross and De Ketelaere rose above the defense to equalize in the 41st minute.
The goal carried extra weight. It was the first Spain had conceded in the entire tournament. Unai Simón had gone 650 minutes without allowing a goal. Belgium broke the wall and reopened the quarterfinal.
Belgium lost Courtois, and the match shifted
The tension continued after halftime. Spain pressed. Belgium defended with Courtois producing key saves and looked dangerous whenever space appeared on the counterattack. Jérémy Doku remained a constant threat, while Romelu Lukaku kept the Spanish center backs occupied.
Then Belgium began to break physically. Courtois suffered an injury in his upper left leg. He tried to continue, but eventually left the field in tears. Senne Lammens replaced him.
The moment changed the emotional shape of the match. Belgium lost one of its leaders, its most important defensive figure and the goalkeeper who had kept the score level under increasing Spanish pressure.
Belgium had already entered the night carrying damage. Youri Tielemans withdrew during the warm-up, Amadou Onana had suffered a serious injury in the previous round and Kevin De Bruyne also finished with physical problems.
Spain sensed the weakness and attacked again.
Mikel Merino is turning late drama into routine
Luis de la Fuente sent Mikel Merino onto the field in the 86th minute. Two minutes later, the quarterfinal was over.
Pau Cubarsí tried his luck from distance. Lammens failed to control the shot and left the ball loose. Merino reacted before everyone else and scored the 2-1 winner.
Merino again. Late again. Decisive again in a knockout match.
The midfielder had already produced major goals in pressure moments against Germany and Portugal. Against Belgium, he showed the same rare quality: he understands where the final ball will fall.
Merino does not need to dominate a match for 90 minutes. He needs one action. One rebound. One hesitation. One narrow space inside the penalty area. Spain has players who control games. Merino specializes in ending them.
Spain has talent, youth and a dangerous level of resilience
La Roja has reached the semifinals with a clear identity. Rodri controls the structure. Fabián connects the midfield. Dani Olmo breaks lines. Lamine Yamal forces defenses backward. Cubarsí plays World Cup knockout football with extraordinary composure.
This team no longer depends only on playing better than the opponent. It has also learned to win when the match becomes uncomfortable.
Against Portugal, Spain needed patience. Against Belgium, it had to recover after conceding for the first time in the tournament. It lost control at times, survived Belgian transitions and found the decisive answer when extra time looked unavoidable.
Spain is now unbeaten in 37 competitive matches since March 2023. The number explains its consistency, but the deeper story is how the team responds to each problem. It controls matches. It suffers. It changes games from the bench. It wins in the 88th minute.
| Match | Result | Goals | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spain vs Belgium | Spain 2-1 Belgium | Fabián Ruiz, Charles De Ketelaere and Mikel Merino | Spain advances to the semifinals |
Belgium came close again, but another generation leaves without the prize
Belgium exits after a strong tournament. It defeated Senegal 3-2 after extra time, beat the United States 4-1 and pushed a previously unbeaten Spanish defense to its limit.
The ending still feels cruel for a national team accustomed to carrying huge expectations. Belgium had talent, experience and dangerous moments. It also had injuries, physical fatigue and one final mistake that Spain punished immediately.
Courtois leaving the field in tears captured the entire collapse. He had kept Belgium alive, suffered an injury and disappeared from the match at the worst possible moment. His replacement entered under enormous pressure and made the error that opened the door for Spain’s winner.
In a World Cup quarterfinal, a few seconds separate a respectable campaign from a historic night.
France vs Spain feels like a final before the final
Spain will face France on July 14 for a place in the 2026 World Cup final.
The semifinal is enormous. France arrives after defeating Morocco 2-0. Kylian Mbappé remains in the Golden Boot race behind Messi, and the French team carries years of experience in the final stages of major tournaments.
Spain offers a different threat. It does not depend on one superstar. Its strength comes from circulation, pressing, wide players and squad depth that keeps producing decisive substitutes.
France represents the weight of an established power. Spain represents the rise of a team combining youth, control and the memory of a former champion.
What Spain vs Belgium left behind
- Spain won 2-1 and reached its first World Cup semifinal since 2010.
- Fabián Ruiz opened the scoring in the 30th minute.
- Charles De Ketelaere equalized for Belgium in the 41st minute.
- Mikel Merino entered in the 86th minute and scored the winner in the 88th.
- Thibaut Courtois left the match injured during the second half.
- Belgium scored the first goal Spain conceded in the tournament.
- Spain will face France for a place in the final.
Spain is no longer chasing the World Cup. The World Cup is starting to feel Spain
Spain needed 88 minutes to break Belgium. For long stretches, it controlled the match. At other moments, it looked uncertain. At the end, it had Merino.
That is what separates teams that survive from teams that reach the final stages. Every victory does not come from a brilliant performance. Some arrive when a substitute enters, a goalkeeper leaves a rebound and one player understands before everyone else that the match is waiting for an owner.
Spain is back among the four best teams in the world. It has already eliminated Austria, Portugal and Belgium. France comes next, the opponent that measures the true scale of any contender.
The semifinal will bring together two different forms of power. France has physical strength, experience and Mbappé. Spain has control, depth and a growing feeling around this team: when the night reaches its decisive moment, someone always appears to write the final line.