Spain Leave It Late to Beat Belgium 2–1, Set Up World Cup Semi-final Clash with France

Spain Leave It Late to Beat Belgium 2–1, Set Up World Cup Semi-final Clash with France

Spain are through to the 2026 FIFA World Cup semi-finals after a dramatic 2–1 victory over Belgium in Los Angeles, with Mikel Merino once again emerging as the hero by scoring a late winner that kept La Roja's dream of lifting a second World Cup title alive.

The European champions started brightly and were rewarded in the 30th minute when Fabián Ruiz calmly finished a well-worked move to give Spain the lead. Belgium, however, responded before the break through Charles De Ketelaere, whose 41st-minute header beat Unai Simón to level the score and end Spain's remarkable run of clean sheets in the tournament.

The second half produced more drama as Belgium suffered a major setback when goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois picked up a thigh injury and was forced off the pitch in visible distress. His replacement, Senne Lammens, was called into action at a crucial stage of the match as both teams searched for a winning goal.

With extra time beginning to look inevitable, Spain found the breakthrough in the 88th minute. Lammens failed to hold onto a powerful effort, and Mikel Merino reacted quickest to fire home the rebound, sending Spanish players and supporters into celebration. It was Merino's second consecutive match-winning goal in the knockout stage, further cementing his reputation as Spain's man for the big moments.

Belgium pushed forward desperately in the closing minutes, with Romelu Lukaku leading the charge, but Spain held firm to preserve their advantage and secure a place in the last four. The victory also extends Spain's unbeaten run to 37 competitive matches, underlining why they are widely regarded as one of the favourites to win the tournament.

Spain will now face France in a blockbuster semi-final, with a place in the 2026 FIFA World Cup final at stake. Given the quality and recent form of both sides, the encounter is already being billed as one of the standout matches of the tournament.

As Spain celebrate another hard-fought victory, attention now turns to whether they can overcome a formidable French side and move one step closer to football's biggest prize.

Do you think Spain have what it takes to overcome France and reach the World Cup final, or will the French prove too strong?