Belgium’s World Cup quarter-final against Spain was thrown into disarray before a ball had been kicked when captain Youri Tielemans sustained an injury during the pre-match warm-up at the Los Angeles stadium. The Aston Villa midfielder, who had been named in the starting eleven, pulled up with what pitchside observers described as a muscular complaint and was immediately ruled out of the contest. With barely twelve minutes until kick-off, head coach Rudi Garcia was forced to revise his team sheet, drafting in Club Brugge’s Hans Vanaken as a direct replacement. The late switch also meant Kevin De Bruyne, returning to the side after being rested against the United States, assumed the captaincy.

Tielemans’ absence strips Belgium of one of their most influential performers in the tournament. The 29-year-old had started every match of the campaign and scored twice in a dramatic 3-2 comeback victory over Senegal in the round of 32, including a stoppage-time penalty that kept the Red Devils alive. His withdrawal compounds a growing list of absentees: midfielder Amadou Onana is already out of the World Cup with a torn knee ligament, while defender Zeno Debast has been unavailable throughout because of a leg injury. Vanaken, who came off the bench to score in the 4-1 demolition of the co-hosts, was thrust into a midfield pairing alongside Nicolas Raskin, with De Bruyne operating further forward.

Spain, too, sprang a surprise before the match, leaving Barcelona’s Pedri on the bench and starting Fabián Ruiz in midfield. The reshuffle did not prevent an open first half. Dani Olmo’s shot was parried by Thibaut Courtois, allowing Ruiz to convert the rebound and give La Roja a 29th-minute lead. Belgium responded eleven minutes later when Charles De Ketelaere finished off a swift counter-attack to level the score at 1-1 by the interval. The pattern of the half reflected the tactical expectations: Spain dominated possession while Belgium looked to strike on the break, a dynamic that remained finely balanced as the teams headed into the second period.

The winner of the tie will face France in the semi-finals after Didier Deschamps’ side defeated Morocco 2-0 on Thursday. Kylian Mbappé scored one goal and missed a penalty in that match, moving level with Lionel Messi on eight goals in the race for the Golden Boot but ahead on assists. For Belgium, the immediate task is to navigate the remainder of the evening without their on-field leader, knowing that a place in the last four—and a shot at a first World Cup final—hangs in the balance.