2010 champions Spain have secured a spot in the semifinals of the Football World Cup 2026. They defeated Belgium 2-1 on Friday night. Now, Spain will face France. This match will be played on July 14 at 12:30 AM.
The second quarter-final at Los Angeles Stadium was tied 1-1 until the 87th minute. In the 88th minute, substitute player Mikel Merino scored the winning goal. Belgium’s reserve goalkeeper Senne Lammens left a rebound from Pau Cubars’s shot, which Merino pounced upon to score the winning goal.
The Spanish team has reached the semi-finals of the World Cup for the third time in history. They last made it to this stage in 2010; in that edition, the Spanish team defeated the Netherlands 1–0 to win their first title.
World Cup Match Highlights
- Charles De Ketelaere broke the streak of Spain’s Unai Simón, who had not conceded a goal for 650 consecutive minutes. Simón set the record for the longest time without conceding a goal. He had surpassed the 517-minute record of Italian legendary goalkeeper Walter Zenga.
- Spain has won its 37th consecutive international match. The team’s last defeat was against Colombia in 2023. Spain has equalled Argentina’s record of 36 consecutive wins between 2019-22. They are one win behind Italy’s record of 37 consecutive wins.
Merino scored a goal just 2 minutes after coming onto the field. (Credits: Reuters)
Merino scored the decisive goal in the second consecutive match
Merino came onto the field as a substitute in the 86th minute and scored the decisive goal just 2 minutes later. Before this, he had scored the winning goal in injury time against Portugal in the pre-quarterfinals, securing a 1-0 victory for Spain.
Merino suffered a stress fracture in his right leg during a match against Manchester United in January 2026. The injury was severe, and he had to undergo surgery. After about four months of rehabilitation, he returned to the World Cup squad.
Belgium’s Ketelaere scored in the 41st minute. This was the first goal against Spain in the current World Cup. (Credits: Reuters)
Spain conceded the first goal in this World Cup
Spain took the lead with a goal from Fabian Ruiz in the 30th minute. However, Belgium equalised with a goal from Charles De Ketelaere in the 41st minute. This was the first goal conceded by Spain in this World Cup.
Thibaut Courtois got injured during the match. He had to leave the field. (Credits: Reuters)
Goalkeeper Courtois injured, pressure on reserve goalkeeper increased
Belgium’s experienced goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois was forced to leave the field in the 71st minute due to a thigh injury. His replacement, Senne Lammens, could not handle the rebound at a decisive moment, and Spain took advantage.
Brad Pitt attends the Spain-Belgium quarterfinals in USA jersey
Bradd Pitt attended the Spain vs Belgium quarterfinal game in USA jersey (Credits: Reuters)
Despite the USA being eliminated from the FIFA World Cup 2026 race, Hollywood star Brad Pitt appeared in a USMNT football jersey to watch the Spain-Belgium game. The veteran actor watched Spain beat Belgium with Penélope Cruz and Javier Bardem
Notably, Belgium was the same team that eliminated the USA, so fans also took a dig at Brad that he attended the quarterfinals to witness Belgium getting out.
Lamine Yamal’s 3-year-old brother’s celebration goes viral
One of the heartwarming moments of the Spain vs Belgium match was the moment of Lamine Yamal’s 3-year-old brother hilariously celebrating the team’s goal. The 3-year-old’s name is Keyne, who is Yamal’s half-brother. As per videos, going viral on the internet, Keyne was witnessed making different faces as he could not control his emotions while aggressively celebrating Merino’s winning goal for Spain.
A Semifinal contest between Europe’s two strongest teams
Spain and France are counted among the strongest European football teams of the current era. Spain is known for rapid passing and ball possession, while France’s strengths lie in swift counter-attacks and a potent forward line. Consequently, this semifinal is being regarded as the tournament’s biggest match.
