Spain defeat Belgium 2-1 to reach World Cup semi-finals after key injuries

Spain advanced to the semi-finals of the 2026 World Cup with a 2-1 victory over Belgium on July 10 in Los Angeles, in a quarter-final match shaped significantly by critical injuries to the Belgian squad.

Mikel Merino secured the win for the reigning European champions with a decisive goal in the 88th minute. The late strike resolved a closely contested fixture that saw Fabian Ruiz open the scoring for Spain, before Charles De Ketelaere recorded an equaliser for Belgium.

The outcome of the match was heavily influenced by enforced personnel changes for the Belgian side. Captain Youri Tielemans was ruled out of the fixture entirely after sustaining an injury during pre-match warm-ups. During the course of play, veteran goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois was also forced to exit the field due to injury. Courtois was replaced by Senne Lammens, who was subsequently involved in the sequence of play that led to Spain's winning goal.

The victory means Spain will now face France in the tournament's semi-finals. Prior to De Ketelaere's equaliser, Spain had not conceded a goal in the 2026 World Cup, having topped Group H before securing knockout victories over Austria and Portugal.

For Belgium, the defeat concludes a campaign that saw them reach the World Cup quarter-finals for the first time since 2018. They advanced to the final eight after topping Group G and eliminating Senegal and the United States. The match marked the 23rd historical meeting between the two nations and their third at a World Cup, extending Spain's overall head-to-head record to 13 wins against Belgium's five.