Spain advanced to the World Cup semifinals for the first time since their 2010 triumph, defeating Belgium 2-1 in a dramatic quarterfinal at the Los Angeles Stadium. The decisive moment arrived in the 88th minute, when substitute Mikel Merino pounced on a rebound spilled by Belgian goalkeeper Senne Lammens, who had only entered the match seventeen minutes earlier after the talismanic Thibaut Courtois was forced off with a thigh injury. The goal, Merino’s second touch of the game, mirrored his stoppage-time winner against Portugal in the previous round, cementing his status as the tournament’s most impactful substitute.

The match had initially followed a script of Spanish control. Fabián Ruiz, a surprise starter in place of Pedri, gave La Roja a deserved lead on the half-hour mark, reacting quickest to fire home after Courtois had parried a Dani Olmo shot. Yet Belgium, who had lost captain Youri Tielemans to a pre-match warm-up injury, struck back against the run of play. In the 41st minute, Charles De Ketelaere rose above Pau Cubarsí to head in a Timothy Castagne cross, ending Spain’s record-breaking defensive run of 650 minutes without conceding a World Cup goal.

The second half became a tense, tactical stalemate until Courtois, who had made several crucial saves, went down clutching his leg. His tearful exit in the 71st minute introduced Lammens to the fray. With the game seemingly destined for extra time, a speculative long-range effort from Cubarsí proved the young keeper’s undoing. He could only parry the ball into a central area, and Merino, who had been on the pitch for just two minutes, smashed the loose ball into the roof of the net.

Viewed from Madrid, the victory extends Spain’s remarkable unbeaten run to 36 matches and sets up a blockbuster semifinal against France in Dallas. European analysts note that the fixture is a repeat of the Euro 2024 semifinal, which Spain won, and the 2025 Nations League semifinal, another Spanish victory. For Belgium, the defeat likely marks the end of an era for its ‘golden generation’, with Courtois, Kevin De Bruyne, and Romelu Lukaku facing an uncertain international future. The immediate consequence is a heavyweight clash between two European champions, with a place in the World Cup final at stake.