Quarter-final • Match 98 — Spain 2–1 Belgium
2026-07-10 • 15:00:00 • SoFi Stadium, Inglewood, California, USA • FIFA World Cup 2026
🇪🇸 Spain 2–1 Belgium 🇧🇪
The Substitute Who Arrived in the 86th Minute—and Changed a Nation’s Night
FIFA World Cup 2026™ — Quarter-final, Match 98
July 10, 2026 • 15:00
SoFi Stadium, Inglewood, California
Attendance: 70,492
Referee: Michael Oliver
Goals: Fabián Ruiz 30’, Charles De Ketelaere 41’, Mikel Merino 88’
Spain advanced to the semifinals after a dramatic late victory witnessed by a sold-out crowd of 70,492. Fabián Ruiz opened the scoring, Charles De Ketelaere equalized before halftime, and substitute Mikel Merino decided the match in the 88th minute after Belgium’s replacement goalkeeper Senne Lammens failed to hold Pau Cubarsí’s low shot.
Before kickoff: beauty against survival
The California afternoon carried the strange electricity of a match that felt like a semifinal arriving one round early.
Spain entered with the confidence of a team that believed the ball belonged to them by natural law. Their plan was familiar but brutally difficult to resist: Rodri controlling the center, Dani Olmo roaming between defensive lines, Lamine Yamal isolating defenders on the right, and Mikel Oyarzabal moving continuously across Belgium’s back four.
Belgium arrived wounded but dangerous. Amadou Onana was unavailable, and captain Youri Tielemans suffered an injury during the warm-up, forcing another disruption before the opening whistle. Rudi Garcia still had Kevin De Bruyne, Jeremy Doku, Leandro Trossard and Charles De Ketelaere—enough attacking intelligence to punish Spain whenever the possession machine lost its shape.
Both teams began in a 4-2-3-1, but the formations told only half the story. Spain’s system became a 3-2-5 with the ball, while Belgium frequently collapsed into a narrow defensive block before releasing Doku and De Bruyne into the spaces behind Spain’s adventurous fullbacks.
Starting lineups
Spain — 4-2-3-1
Goalkeeper: Unai Simón
Defenders: Pedro Porro, Pau Cubarsí, Aymeric Laporte, Marc Cucurella
Midfielders: Rodri, Fabián Ruiz
Attacking midfield: Lamine Yamal, Dani Olmo, Álex Baena
Forward: Mikel Oyarzabal
Spain’s substitutes used were Pedri and Ferran Torres in the 55th minute, Nico Williams in the 79th, and Mikel Merino in the 86th.
Belgium — 4-2-3-1
Goalkeeper: Thibaut Courtois
Defenders: Timothy Castagne, Brandon Mechele, Nathan Ngoy, Maxim De Cuyper
Midfielders: Nicolas Raskin, Hans Vanaken
Attacking midfield: Leandro Trossard, Kevin De Bruyne, Jeremy Doku
Forward: Charles De Ketelaere
Belgium introduced Romelu Lukaku and Axel Witsel in the 60th minute, Joaquin Seys in the 61st, Senne Lammens after Courtois’s injury, and Alexis Saelemaekers late in the match.
First half: Spain turn possession into pressure
1’–10’ — Spain draw the map
Michael Oliver started the match, and Spain immediately began moving Belgium from side to side.
Rodri positioned himself at the base of every attack. Fabián Ruiz operated slightly higher, often moving into the left half-space. Cucurella pushed forward to occupy Doku, while Porro combined with Yamal on the opposite flank.
Belgium’s first objective was not to recover the ball quickly. It was to close the center. Raskin followed Olmo’s movements, Vanaken protected the area in front of the defense, and De Ketelaere waited alone for transition opportunities.
Spain had the ball.
Belgium had the patience.
11’–20’ — Yamal begins the interrogation
Lamine Yamal repeatedly received wide on the right and faced De Cuyper. Each possession asked the same horrible question:
Do you show him outside and allow the cross, or inside and expose the shooting lane?
Doku frequently dropped back to help, which weakened Belgium’s counterattacking threat. That was already a small Spanish victory. Belgium’s most explosive dribbler was spending precious energy near his own penalty area.
Courtois remained composed, collecting crosses and organizing the defensive line. But the direction of the match was becoming clear: Belgium were defending the structure; Spain were searching for the crack.
21’–29’ — The pressure becomes physical
Spain increased the speed of circulation. Olmo began appearing behind Belgium’s midfield. Baena moved inside, giving Cucurella room on the overlap. Oyarzabal dropped short and dragged defenders away from the penalty area.
Belgium survived the combinations, but each clearance returned quickly. Spain were not attacking in isolated waves; they were creating a permanent occupation of Belgium’s half.
Then came the opening.
30’ — Fabián Ruiz makes it 1–0
Porro exchanged passes with Yamal and drove a low delivery into the area. Dani Olmo met it first time. Courtois produced the initial save, but the rebound remained alive.
Fabián Ruiz reacted before everyone else.
No hesitation.
No attempt to make the finish beautiful.
He forced the ball home.
Spain 1–0 Belgium.
It was a goal born from positioning and persistence: Porro’s support run, Yamal’s gravity, Olmo’s arrival and Ruiz’s hunger for the second ball.
31’–40’ — Belgium refuse the script
Spain might have expected Belgium to retreat further. Instead, Belgium became braver.
De Bruyne started moving closer to Doku, looking to create two-against-one situations on Spain’s left. Castagne advanced from right-back. De Ketelaere stopped waiting centrally and began attacking the gaps beside Cubarsí.
Spain continued playing attractive combinations, but the defensive distances became slightly larger. Their fullbacks were high, Ruiz was arriving in the box, and Rodri sometimes had too much territory to protect alone.
Belgium saw it.
And Belgium struck.
41’ — De Ketelaere equalizes
The move developed down Belgium’s right.
Timothy Castagne found space and delivered a dangerous cross toward the center. De Ketelaere attacked the ball ahead of Cubarsí and guided a glancing header beyond Unai Simón.
Spain 1–1 Belgium.
It was Spain’s first conceded goal of the tournament—and a perfect example of Belgium’s tactical threat. They did not need long possession. They needed one accurate cross and one perfectly timed run.
Halftime — 1–1
Spain had controlled the territory.
Belgium had controlled their emotions.
The quarter-final was level, and suddenly Spain’s possession carried more anxiety. Belgium entered the dressing room knowing they had survived the most difficult period and had exposed a genuine weakness behind Spain’s advanced fullbacks.
Second half: the match loses its patience
46’–54’ — Spain accelerate again
Spain restarted with renewed urgency. Yamal continued tormenting Belgium’s left side. Olmo found pockets around Raskin. Porro’s positioning kept Doku pinned deeper than Belgium wanted.
But Belgium’s counterattacks now carried danger. De Bruyne needed only one forward-facing touch to transform defense into attack. Spain could not attack recklessly because every turnover invited Doku into open field.
Luis de la Fuente decided the midfield required fresh control.
55’ — Pedri and Ferran Torres enter
Pedri replaced Fabián Ruiz, while Ferran Torres replaced Álex Baena.
The substitutions altered Spain’s spacing. Pedri offered cleaner circulation and quicker combinations near Rodri. Ferran provided more direct running beyond the defensive line, preventing Belgium from compressing everything around Olmo and Yamal.
55’–61’ — Belgium respond with power
Belgium made three rapid changes.
Romelu Lukaku replaced Vanaken, Axel Witsel replaced Trossard, and Joaquin Seys replaced De Cuyper. Belgium now had a true penalty-area reference in Lukaku, while De Ketelaere could move into supporting zones rather than battling alone against both center-backs.
It was no longer a possession exercise.
It was a fight.
62’ — Chances at both ends
De Bruyne drove forward on the break and forced Simón into action. At the other end, Oyarzabal found space inside the penalty area but could not finish cleanly.
Spain were still producing more attacks, but Belgium had become more dangerous with fewer touches.
The match was now stretched—exactly what Spain usually tries to prevent and Belgium desperately wanted.
63’–70’ — Courtois keeps Belgium alive
Yamal continued cutting inside onto his left foot. Olmo searched for the final pass. Rodri kept feeding the attacks.
Courtois made crucial interventions and gave Belgium a sense of security. Behind him, Ngoy and Mechele defended the box with growing confidence.
Then Belgium suffered the moment that changed the emotional balance of the quarter-final.
Courtois is forced off
Courtois sustained an injury and could not continue. He left visibly distraught, and Senne Lammens entered for his World Cup debut in the 71st minute.
It was a cruel change. Belgium lost not only an elite goalkeeper but also the commanding voice that had organized their defense throughout Spain’s siege.
Spain sensed uncertainty.
The crowd sensed it too.
Every delivery toward Lammens now carried additional tension.
72’–79’ — Belgium bend but do not break
Spain pushed harder.
Yamal shot from distance. Pedri circulated the ball around Belgium’s block. Porro and Cucurella advanced together, almost leaving Rodri as a third center-back.
Belgium defended deeper but still threatened through Doku. His ability to carry the ball fifty meters gave the defense occasional oxygen.
Nico Williams replaced Oyarzabal in the 79th minute, adding another one-on-one attacker. Spain were now attacking with Yamal on one flank, Williams on the other and Ferran moving through the center.
80’–85’ — The match waits for one mistake
The tension became suffocating.
De Bruyne attempted an ambitious long-range strike. Belgium tried to reach Lukaku with earlier crosses. Spain continued recycling possession, searching for the moment when one Belgian defender would step too far or one midfielder would arrive too late.
The clock reached 85 minutes.
Extra time appeared inevitable.
Then De la Fuente sent on the man who had already rescued Spain against Portugal.
86’ — Mikel Merino enters
Merino replaced Dani Olmo.
It looked like a substitution designed for extra time: fresh legs, physical strength, aerial presence and another midfielder capable of arriving inside the penalty area.
He required two touches to change the match.
88’ — Merino does it again
Pau Cubarsí stepped forward and struck from long range.
The shot was low and not especially powerful, but it bounced awkwardly in front of Lammens. The goalkeeper failed to secure it.
The ball escaped.
Merino reacted instantly.
While defenders hesitated and Lammens tried to recover, Merino reached the rebound and drove it into the net.
Spain 2–1 Belgium.
Once again, Spain’s substitute had become the main character. Once again, Merino had appeared late in a knockout match and scored the decisive goal.
The Spanish bench exploded.
Belgian players stood motionless for a second, understanding the cruelty of what had happened.
Courtois watched from the bench.
Lammens looked devastated.
Football can be extremely rude like that, bro. One imperfect moment after eighty-seven minutes of resistance, and the entire tournament disappears 💀
The final siege
Seven minutes of stoppage time were announced.
Belgium abandoned caution.
Saelemaekers replaced De Bruyne and immediately attacked the byline. Lukaku occupied both center-backs. Raskin sent crosses toward the penalty area.
At 90+2’, Saelemaekers moved around Simón and delivered a dangerous ball, but Cubarsí recovered to clear.
Laporte was booked for stopping a Doku counter. Witsel received a yellow card for a late challenge on Rodri. Belgium sent one final cross toward Lukaku, but Spain survived the aerial duel and Simón drew the foul.
Michael Oliver raised the whistle.
Full time.
Spain 2–1 Belgium.
The tactical truth
Why Spain won
Spain’s superiority did not come simply from possessing the ball. It came from the way they continually forced Belgium’s attackers to defend.
Yamal’s threat pushed Doku backward.
Porro’s overlaps stretched De Cuyper.
Olmo occupied Raskin.
Rodri controlled the space behind every attack.
Spain also possessed exceptional depth. Pedri, Ferran Torres, Nico Williams and Merino entered from the bench. Merino scored only two minutes after coming on, turning squad depth into the decisive tactical weapon.
Why Belgium nearly won
Belgium accepted Spain’s territorial control without becoming passive.
Castagne selected his moments to advance.
Doku carried the ball through pressure.
De Bruyne provided instant verticality.
De Ketelaere’s movement between Cubarsí and Laporte caused real discomfort, and his header rewarded Belgium’s willingness to attack Spain’s high defensive line.
Belgium were missing Onana, lost Tielemans before kickoff and then lost Courtois during the game. Their defeat was not caused by cowardice or a lack of quality. It came from accumulated disruption—and one late goalkeeping error.
Player evaluations
Spain
Unai Simón — 7/10
Could do little about De Ketelaere’s header. Managed the late aerial pressure calmly.
Pedro Porro — 8/10
Vital in Spain’s right-sided combinations and involved in the buildup to the opening goal.
Pau Cubarsí — 8/10
Beaten by De Ketelaere for the equalizer, but recovered superbly. His late shot created the winning goal.
Aymeric Laporte — 7.5/10
Read Belgium’s direct attacks well and accepted a late booking to stop Doku.
Marc Cucurella — 7.5/10
Aggressive positioning helped trap Belgium, although his advanced role left space behind him.
Rodri — 9/10
The match’s central controller. Completed 98 of 104 passes and repeatedly restored Spain’s structure after transitions.
Fabián Ruiz — 8/10
Scored the opener through anticipation and intelligent box movement.
Lamine Yamal — 9/10
Named player of the match. Attempted six shots and forced Belgium to dedicate multiple defenders to his side.
Dani Olmo — 8/10
His first-time effort created Ruiz’s goal. Constantly found spaces between Belgium’s lines.
Álex Baena — 7/10
Worked intelligently from the left and helped Spain dominate territory.
Mikel Oyarzabal — 7/10
His movement created space, though he lacked the decisive finish.
Pedri — 8/10
Restored fluidity after halftime and helped Spain maintain pressure.
Ferran Torres — 7/10
Added direct running and pinned Belgium’s defense deeper.
Nico Williams — 7/10
Brought speed during the closing phase.
Mikel Merino — 9/10
Entered at 86’, scored at 88’. That is not a substitution; that is a robbery with perfect timing.
Belgium
Thibaut Courtois — 8.5/10
Made four saves and kept Belgium alive before injury ended his match.
Timothy Castagne — 8/10
Delivered the precise cross for De Ketelaere’s equalizer.
Brandon Mechele — 7.5/10
Strong positionally and handled long periods of pressure.
Nathan Ngoy — 8/10
Belgium’s leading defensive performer, recording 15 defensive interventions.
Maxim De Cuyper — 6.5/10
Endured a brutal afternoon against Yamal and required constant assistance from Doku.
Nicolas Raskin — 7.5/10
Covered enormous ground and competed bravely against Spain’s overloaded midfield.
Hans Vanaken — 6.5/10
Helped Belgium maintain shape but was sacrificed when Lukaku entered.
Leandro Trossard — 6.5/10
Worked hard defensively but struggled to influence the match in advanced areas.
Kevin De Bruyne — 7.5/10
Produced Belgium’s most dangerous forward passes and tested Simón on the break.
Jeremy Doku — 8/10
Belgium’s primary outlet. Dangerous every time he escaped Spain’s pressure.
Charles De Ketelaere — 8.5/10
Scored Belgium’s goal and intelligently attacked the space between Spain’s center-backs.
Romelu Lukaku — 7/10
Gave Belgium a stronger penalty-area presence after entering.
Axel Witsel — 6.5/10
Added experience but received a late booking.
Joaquin Seys — 7/10
Helped stabilize the left side after De Cuyper’s exhausting duel with Yamal.
Senne Lammens — 5/10
Entered in almost impossible circumstances. His spill created the winner, but the defeat cannot be placed on one young goalkeeper alone.
Alexis Saelemaekers — 7/10
Created danger immediately during Belgium’s desperate final attack.
Man of the Match
⭐ Lamine Yamal
Merino scored the winner, but Yamal shaped the entire tactical contest.
Belgium continually adjusted around him. Doku dropped deeper. De Cuyper needed protection. Raskin shifted across. Those movements opened areas elsewhere for Porro, Olmo and Ruiz.
Yamal did not merely attack Belgium’s defense.
He rearranged it.
Final verdict
Spain deserved the victory because they controlled more of the match, produced the greater volume of pressure and possessed a bench capable of transforming the contest. But Belgium made them suffer for every meter.
This was not Spain dancing freely through a helpless opponent. It was Spain being challenged, equalized against, frustrated and forced to reach deep into its reserves.
Belgium’s World Cup ended with Courtois injured, Tielemans lost before kickoff and Lammens carrying the pain of the decisive error. Yet their performance showed courage, tactical intelligence and enough attacking quality to bring Spain within minutes of extra time.
Spain marched onward to face France in the semifinal—a meeting of perhaps the tournament’s two deepest and most gifted squads. They arrived there because, in the 86th minute, Luis de la Fuente turned toward his bench.
Mikel Merino stood up.
Two minutes later, Belgium’s World Cup was over.
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