Spain secured a 2-1 victory over Belgium in the FIFA World Cup 2026 quarterfinal in California on July 10, with substitute Mikel Merino scoring the decisive goal. The win books Spain a semifinal clash against France.
Substitute Hero Merino Strikes Again
Mikel Merino, who also came off the bench to make a key impact in Spain's previous knockout win over Portugal, expressed his delight after repeating the feat. "It seems like a coincidence, and if you go in prepared, it can happen again. I'm thrilled. I doubt it will happen again, we'll see," Merino said, according to FIFA.
Merino's match-winning goal came after he pounced on a rebound from Senne Lammens, who had replaced injured goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois. The Spanish midfielder added, "Two matches to win a World Cup is a dream come true - hopefully we can achieve it."
Match Summary: Ruiz and De Ketelaere on Target
Fabian Ruiz, who started ahead of Pedri, opened the scoring for Spain after Belgian goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois parried Dani Olmo's shot into his path. Lamine Yamal earned the Player of the Match award for his lively display.
Belgium equalized just before halftime when Kevin De Bruyne released Timothy Castagne down the right, and his cross was headed home by Charles 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 and Decisive Goal
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 score the winner.
Spain's Unbeaten Run Continues
The victory extended Spain's unbeaten run to 36 matches since their defeat to Colombia, equalling 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.
