Spain Beat Belgium 2-1 to Reach 2026 FIFA World Cup Semifinals as Mikel Merino Scores Late Winner
Spain booked their place in the 2026 FIFA World Cup semifinals after defeating Belgium 2-1 in a thrilling quarterfinal clash at Los Angeles Stadium. Super-sub Mikel Merino once again proved to be Spain's hero, scoring a dramatic 88th-minute winner to send La Roja into the final four, where they will face France.
Merino's late strike capped another dominant performance from Spain, who controlled possession throughout the match before finally breaking Belgium's resistance in the closing stages.
Spain vs Belgium Match Summary
Spain started brightly and deservedly took the lead in the 29th minute when Fabián Ruiz finished off a well-worked move to put La Roja ahead.
Belgium responded before halftime as Charles De Ketelaere scored in the 40th minute, becoming the first player to find the net against Spain in the 2026 FIFA World Cup and ending their impressive run of consecutive clean sheets.
With the match seemingly heading for extra time, substitute Mikel Merino made the decisive impact in the 88th minute, reacting quickest to a loose ball after a deflection and firing home the winning goal to secure Spain's place in the semifinals.
Spain 2-1 Belgium finals score, match stats, facts, records
Spain once again showcased their trademark possession-based football, dominating the ball and creating significantly more scoring opportunities than Belgium.
* Spain have reached the FIFA World Cup semi-finals for only the second time in their history, mirroring their historic 2010 run in South Africa.
* Excluding third-place playoffs, Belgium have been eliminated by UEFA nations in their last four World Cup knockout ties since beating Spain in 1986.
* Spain are the first reigning UEFA European Championship holders to reach a World Cup semi-final since *La Roja* themselves accomplished it in 2010.
* Spain have set an outright record for their longest unbeaten run, remaining undefeated in 36 consecutive matches since March 2024 (W27 D9).
* Mikel Merino is the only substitute ever to score a World Cup knockout winner for Spain, doing so against both Portugal and Belgium.
* Spain have dominated possession in 28 consecutive World Cup games, doubling the next longest tournament record held by Brazil.
* Luis de la Fuente has managed 13 games across the World Cup and EUROs without a single loss (W12 D1), the most of any manager.
* Rodri has completed 62 line-breaking passes in the final third at the 2026 World Cup, matching Toni Kroos' 2014 single-edition record.
* Charles De Ketelaere's equalizer for Belgium ended Spain's remarkable streak of 649 minutes without conceding a goal at the World Cup.
* Charles De Ketelaere has tied Romelu Lukaku and Jan Ceulemans as Belgium’s all-time top goalscorers in World Cup knockout stage matches.
* Fabián Ruiz has been directly involved in five goals (3 goals, 2 assists) across his eight career starts for Spain at major international tournaments.
* Lamine Yamal is the first player to make over five World Cup appearances at age 18 or under, trailing only Kylian Mbappé's teenage record of seven.
* Senne Lammens became the first goalkeeper to play a World Cup match for Belgium other than Thibaut Courtois since Geert De Vlieger in 2002.
Key Highlights from Spain vs Belgium
Mikel Merino Delivers Again
After scoring the decisive goal in the Round of 16, Mikel Merino repeated his heroics with another late winner, continuing his reputation as Spain's ultimate impact substitute.
Spain Extend Unbeaten Run
The victory stretched Spain's unbeaten streak in all competitions to 37 consecutive matches, underlining their status as one of the tournament favourites.
Belgium End Spain's Clean Sheet Record
Charles De Ketelaere's equaliser ended Spain's remarkable run of six consecutive World Cup clean sheets while also bringing an end to goalkeeper Unai Simón's tournament shutout streak of more than 600 minutes.
Rodri Controls Midfield
Spain midfielder Rodri delivered another commanding display, earning a 7.62 Sofascore rating after dictating possession and limiting the influence of Kevin De Bruyne. Belgium were further weakened after Youri Tielemans was ruled out with an injury during the pre-match warm-up.
Spain vs Belgium Head-to-Head Record
Following this quarterfinal victory, Spain strengthened their historical advantage over Belgium.
- Matches Played: 23
- Spain Wins: 13
- Belgium Wins: 5
- Draws: 5
The result also added another chapter to their FIFA World Cup rivalry. Spain followed up their 2-1 group-stage victory in 1990 while avenging their 1986 World Cup quarterfinal defeat, when Belgium advanced on penalties.
Spain have now remained unbeaten against Belgium for more than four decades, with their last defeat dating back to UEFA Euro 1980.
Spain Advance to the 2026 FIFA World Cup Semifinals
Spain will now face France in a blockbuster 2026 FIFA World Cup semifinal, with a place in the final at stake. After another composed and dominant performance, La Roja continue their pursuit of a second FIFA World Cup title, while Belgium's tournament comes to an end despite a spirited display.
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