Spain edge past Belgium 2-1 in World Cup quarterfinal
Spain secured a hard-fought 2-1 victory over Belgium in the FIFA World Cup 2026 quarterfinal on July 10 in California, booking a semifinal showdown with France. Fabian Ruiz, who started ahead of Pedri, and substitute Mikel Merino scored for Spain, while Charles De Ketelaere netted for Belgium. The match also saw Belgian goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois forced off with an injury.
Ruiz opens scoring after Courtois parry
Fabian Ruiz opened the scoring in the first half after Belgian goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois parried Dani Olmo's effort into his path. Spain continued to threaten through Lamine Yamal, whose lively display earned him the Player of the Match award. According to match reports, Yamal's dribbling and creativity troubled the Belgian defense throughout the game.
Belgium equalizes just before halftime
Belgium equalized just before halftime when Kevin De Bruyne released Timothy Castagne down the right flank. Castagne's pinpoint cross was headed home by De Ketelaere, who timed his run perfectly to stay onside. The goal ended Spain goalkeeper Unai Simon's remarkable run of 560 consecutive World Cup minutes without conceding, surpassing the previous tournament record of 517 minutes set by Italy's Walter Zenga in 1990.
Courtois injury proves decisive
Belgium suffered a major setback in the 71st minute when Courtois was forced off with an apparent injury and replaced by Senne Lammens. The substitute goalkeeper was beaten soon after when he failed to hold Pau Cubarsi's long-range effort, allowing Merino, who had only recently entered the game, to pounce on the rebound and score the winner.
Spain extends unbeaten run to 36 matches
The victory extended Spain's unbeaten run to 36 matches since their defeat to Colombia, equaling Argentina's unbeaten streak between 2019 and 2022 and leaving them just one game short of Italy's world-record 37-match unbeaten run. Spain will now face France in a highly anticipated semifinal as they continue their bid for another FIFA World Cup title.
Mbappe stars for France in quarterfinal win
For France, captain Kylian Mbappe continued his brilliant World Cup campaign by scoring in France's 2-0 quarterfinal victory over Morocco, helping Les Bleus reach the semifinals. The France captain became the youngest player to make 20 World Cup appearances and the fastest to score 20 goals in the tournament's history, taking his overall World Cup tally to 20 goals across the 2018, 2022, and 2026 editions. His eighth goal of the ongoing tournament also saw him draw level with Lionel Messi in the Golden Boot race.
Mbappe sets new records
Mbappe additionally set a new record for the most match-winning goals in FIFA World Cup history with eight and became the first French player to be directly involved in 100 international goals, registering 64 goals and 36 assists for Les Bleus. The semifinal between Spain and France promises to be a blockbuster clash as both teams vie for a place in the final.
