Spain secured a hard-fought 2-1 victory over Belgium to earn a place in the FIFA World Cup 2026 semi-finals, where they will take on France in a highly anticipated showdown.
Luis de la Fuente’s decision to hand Fabian Ruiz a surprise start paid off as the midfielder opened the scoring by converting the rebound after Dani Olmo’s effort was saved by Thibaut Courtois.
Spain continued to threaten, with Lamine Yamal coming close to extending the lead, but Belgium responded just before halftime. Kevin De Bruyne delivered a perfectly weighted pass to Timothy Castagne, whose accurate cross was expertly headed into the net by Charles De Ketelaere.
The contest turned in the closing stages when Courtois was forced off through injury.
Substitute goalkeeper Senne Lammens failed to control Pau Cubarsi’s long-range strike, allowing Mikel Merino to react quickest and smash home the decisive rebound, sealing Spain’s place in the last four.
