Spain 2–1 Belgium — World Cup: stats, lineups & analysis
Match report
Merino's late strike sends Spain past Belgium into World Cup semi-finals
Spain edged past Belgium 2-1 in the World Cup quarter-finals at SoFi Stadium, with a stoppage-time winner from substitute Mikel Merino settling a contest that had been level since before half-time. The result kept Luis de la Fuente's side unbeaten in the tournament and ended Belgium's run under Rudi Garcia.
AI-assisted match report written from official match data.
Fabián Ruiz put Spain ahead in the 30th minute, but Belgium responded quickly through Charles De Ketelaere, who converted an assist from Timothy Castagne in the 41st minute to send the sides in level at half-time. Spain dominated for long spells without finding a breakthrough until Merino struck in the 88th minute to decide the match.
Spain controlled possession throughout, dominating the ball at 68 percent, and produced far more of the game's chances, registering 16 shots to Belgium's five. Thibaut Courtois was repeatedly called upon in the Belgium goal, and his performance kept the scoreline respectable for long periods despite the disparity in territory and attempts.
Courtois earned the highest rating on the pitch at 7.9 despite conceding twice, a reflection of the volume of work he faced as Spain poured forward. De Ketelaere's leveller, scored from Castagne's assist, also stood out as the away side's most telling contribution.
Spain's 68 percent share of possession underlined their control of the contest even before Merino's decisive intervention.
Spain beat Belgium 2–1 (half-time 1–1).
Spain met Belgium in the World Cup (Quarter-finals). Kick-off was Friday, 10 July 2026, 19:00 UTC at SoFi Stadium. Referee: Michael Oliver.
Key moments
- 30' Goal: Fabián Ruiz — 1–0 · Watch the goal
- 41' Goal: Charles De Ketelaere (assist: Timothy Castagne) — 1–1 · Watch the goal
- 88' Goal: Mikel Merino — 2–1 · Watch the goal
Starting line-ups
Spain (4-2-3-1)
- 23 Unai Simón
- 24 Marc Cucurella
- 14 Aymeric Laporte
- 22 Pau Cubarsí Paredes
- 12 Pedro Porro
- 8 Fabián Ruiz
- 16 Rodri (c)
- 15 Álex Baena
- 10 Dani Olmo
- 19 Lamine Yamal
- 21 Mikel Oyarzabal
Belgium (4-2-3-1)
What the press said
💥🇪🇸 Mikel Merino wins it AGAIN for Spain to eliminate Belgium and fly to World Cup semi finals! 💔🇧🇪 Who’s been your Man of the Match? https://t.co/XyV9vzqgnj
❤️ 15kopen on X ↗
🚨⭐️ OFFICIAL: Lamine Yamal, FIFA Man of the Match for Spain-Belgium. https://t.co/hbDaRMT6sn
❤️ 8.2kopen on X ↗
Mikel Merino sends Spain into the World Cup semi-finals after a late 2-1 win over Belgium. Spain will now face France for a place in the final.🇪🇸 https://t.co/T9m1aREXu5
❤️ 847open on X ↗
About this match
- Who scored and when — a goal-by-goal timeline of the match.
- Match stats — possession, shots, expected goals (xG), corners and cards.
- Starting lineups and player ratings for both teams.
- Head-to-head record and recent form for both sides.
Watch the goals: goal highlights and video clips of every goal from Spain 2–1 Belgium. Explore more on the Spain and Belgium team pages or the World Cup page.