Spain vs Belgium 2026 World Cup Quarter-Final
RESULT: Spain 2-1 Belgium (Jul 10 2026, SoFi Stadium LA). Fabián Ruiz opened for Spain, Charles De Ketelaere equalised for Belgium, then substitute Mikel Merino turned home a Cubarsi rebound 1'57" after coming on to send Spain into the semi-finals. Spain face France on July 14 in Dallas. Sources: FIFA, ESPN, Fox Sports, Al Jazeera.
The context
Spain vs Belgium is the 2026 World Cup quarter-final set to ignite SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles on July 10. It pits the tournament’s most dominant overall side against one of its biggest surprise packages, and the match-up was only confirmed when Belgium’s stunning 4-1 demolition of host nation USA on July 6 turned into one of the story of the knockout rounds.
Spain arrive with a flawless seven-win record. Their tournament has been a masterclass in controlled, incisive football: Lamine Yamal, still 18, already a force, opened the scoring against Saudi Arabia, Mikel Oyarzabal added two more in the same match, and Spain have conceded just three goals across seven games. The win over Portugal in the Round of 16 was settled by substitute Mikel Merino, who headed home in stoppage time to end an Iberian derby that had needed a moment of individual quality to resolve. Cristiano Ronaldo walked off the pitch in silence, a moment that dominated football conversation for 24 hours, but whose significance only underlines how far Spain have come.
Belgium eliminated the hosts in the most emphatic fashion: Charles De Ketelaere scored twice, Romelu Lukaku sealed it in injury time, and the 4-1 scoreline flattered a US team who tried. Belgium’s path to this point has also included a remarkable 3-2 comeback from 2-0 down against Senegal after extra time in the Round of 32, evidence of a mentally resilient side. The Spain–Belgium quarter-final kicks off Friday, July 10 at 3pm ET / 9pm CET. Sources: FIFA, ESPN, Marca, Sky Sports.