Spain reached the semi-finals of the 2026 FIFA World Cup with a dramatic 2-1 win over Belgium. Mikel Merino, coming off the bench, scored late to secure the victory in Los Angeles.
Merino, who also scored the winner against Portugal in the Round of 16, came off the bench and found the net just minutes before the final whistle. His goal sent Spain into the last four for only the second time in their World Cup history.
This win also stretched Spain’s unbeaten run to a national record of 36 matches, just one short of Italy’s all-time international record of 37. Next, they will face France in a highly anticipated semi-final.
“It will be a clash of giants,” Spain head coach Luis de la Fuente said.
Merino made an instant impact after coming on in the 86th minute. He reacted fastest when Belgium’s substitute goalkeeper Senne Lammens spilled Pau Cubarsí’s long shot, firing the rebound into the top of the net.
“I’ve done this again, and it’s happened to me again, so it would seem that coincidence exists,” Merino said with a smile. “If you’re ready and you try, it can happen for you. I’m very, very pleased.”
Lammens came on after first-choice goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois left the field with a muscle injury in the 71st minute.
Spain went ahead shortly after the first-half cooling break thanks to Fabián Ruiz. He scored from close range after Courtois parried Dani Olmo’s shot, which followed a well-worked move with Lamine Yamal and Pedro Porro.
De la Fuente’s choice to start Ruiz instead of Pedri turned out to be crucial.
“We know what these players will give us when we put them in,” the Spain coach said. “Pedri and Fabián are among the best players in the world. We always make decisions based on the opponent and what the team needs.”
Lamine Yamal made history as the youngest player ever to appear in six matches at a single FIFA World Cup.
Belgium answered before halftime when Timothy Castagne sent in a perfect cross for Charles De Ketelaere, who headed the ball past Unai Simón to tie the game.
That goal ended Spain’s impressive 650-minute World Cup streak without conceding, a run that started in the 2022 tournament.
The second half was closely contested. Belgium created chances through Kevin De Bruyne and Jérémy Doku, while Spain kept control of the ball.
Belgium faced a big setback when Courtois had to leave the game after treatment for a muscle injury.
After the match, Belgium’s head coach Rudi Garcia confirmed that the goalkeeper had been dealing with an injury.
“It’s part of elite football. From the beginning of the World Cup, I didn’t want players on the pitch who weren’t 100 percent, and that was the case with Courtois today.
“He wanted to continue, but we couldn’t risk making the injury worse.”
Belgium suffered another setback before kick-off when captain Youri Tielemans had to withdraw during the warm-up due to injury.
Despite their spirited effort, Garcia admitted his team came up just short.
“It’s a shame because I thought everyone deserved to go far. We were close to taking the game into extra time.
“I am not here to rewrite history.”
Spain now look ahead to an exciting semi-final against France as they continue their quest for a second FIFA World Cup title.
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