Spain Beats Belgium with Late Goal to Reach 2026 World Cup Semifinals

Spain secured a dramatic 2-1 victory over Belgium in the 2026 World Cup quarterfinals on Saturday night, thanks to a decisive goal by Mikel Merino in the 88th minute. The win advances the European champions to the semifinals, where they will face France in a highly anticipated rematch of the Euro 2024 semifinal.

Spain dominated much of the match and opened the scoring in the 30th minute when Fabian Ruiz capitalized on a rebound off Belgium goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois. Belgium equalized before halftime through Charles De Ketelaere’s header in the 41st minute. In the second half, Spain maintained control but struggled to break down Belgium’s defense.

A turning point came in the 71st minute when Courtois was injured and replaced by Senne Lammens, making his World Cup debut. Just two minutes after coming on, Merino took advantage of a mistake by Lammens to score the winning goal. Merino, an Arsenal forward who has overcome injury setbacks this season, has now scored crucial goals in both Euro 2024 and the World Cup knockout stages.

Belgium’s tournament run ends with this loss, and it may mark the final World Cup appearances for veteran stars such as Courtois, Kevin De Bruyne, and Romelu Lukaku. Spain celebrates another semifinal berth, setting up a compelling clash with France for a spot in the final.