[2026 World Cup] Spain Defeats Belgium 2-1...Set to Face France in Semifinals

First Semifinal in 16 Years Since Their 2010 World Cup Victory
Fabian Luis Scores Opener, Mikel Merino Nets the Winner

France and Spain will face each other in a World Cup finals match for the first time in 20 years.

On July 11 (Korean time), Spain defeated Belgium 2-1 in the quarterfinals of the 2026 North and Central America World Cup held at Los Angeles Stadium in California, United States. Spain has advanced to the semifinals for the first time in 16 years, since winning the 2010 South Africa World Cup.

Spain will play against France, who are aiming for a third consecutive final appearance, at Dallas Stadium at 4 a.m. on July 15.

The last time the two teams met in a World Cup finals was in the Round of 16 at the 2006 Germany World Cup. At that time, France won 3-1. However, in recent international matchups, Spain has repeatedly defeated France. They won 5-4 in the semifinals of last year's UEFA Nations League and also secured a 2-1 victory in the semifinals of the UEFA Euro 2024 tournament.

Fabian Luis of Spain is celebrating after scoring the opening goal in the 30th minute of the first half. Photo by Xinhua Yonhap News

Against Belgium, Spain took the lead in the 30th minute of the first half with an opening goal from Fabian Luis. Although Charles De Ketelaere equalized in the 41st minute of the first half, Mikel Merino, who was brought on as a substitute, scored the winning goal in the 43rd minute of the second half, securing the victory for Spain.

Spain displayed a higher level of performance, leading Belgium 17-5 in shots and 8-2 in shots on target.

In the 20th minute of the first half, Lamine Yamal attempted a left-footed curler from near the edge of the penalty arc, but the ball narrowly missed the left post.

Spain's opening goal came in the 30th minute. Pedro Porro sent in a cross from the right flank, and Dani Olmo connected with a first-time shot from the center of the penalty box. Belgian goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois dove to make a save, but Luis followed up and gently pushed the ball in with his left foot.

In the 34th minute, Yamal took a direct free kick from near the penalty arc. His shot slipped past the defensive wall and was heading toward the bottom left corner, but Courtois made the save. In the 39th minute, Yamal dribbled past two defenders on the right side of the penalty box and attempted a left-footed shot, but it missed the target.

Belgium equalized in the subsequent attack. In the 41st minute, Timothy Castagne delivered a cross from the right flank, and De Ketelaere struck with a sharp header. Spanish goalkeeper Unai Simon did not react. This was the first goal conceded by Spain in this tournament. Simon's streak of seven consecutive World Cup matches without conceding a goal, which started at the 2022 Qatar World Cup, came to an end. The record for the longest streak of minutes without conceding a goal in World Cup history also stopped at 649 minutes.

With the score tied 1-1 at halftime, Spain continued to dominate offensively in the early part of the second half. In the 6th minute, Yamal's left-footed shot was deflected off a defender, and a minute later, Olmo's right-footed shot missed the goal by a wide margin.

Mikel Merino of Spain is celebrating after scoring the winning goal in the 43rd minute of the second half. Photo by Xinhua Yonhap News

Belgium missed a great chance in the 9th minute of the second half. Jeremy Doku's pass into the penalty box deflected off a Spanish defender and fell to Maxime De Cuyper. De Cuyper immediately fired a powerful left-footed shot, but the ball struck the outside netting to the left of the goal.

In the 15th minute of the second half, Yamal's long-range left-footed shot was saved by Courtois. In the 25th minute, Ferran Torres' powerful header from the center of the penalty box went over the crossbar.

In the 26th minute of the second half, Belgium substituted their goalkeeper. Courtois, who had made several key saves, was taken off due to discomfort in his thigh, and Senne Lammens was brought on.

Spain scored the winning goal in the 43rd minute of the second half. Pau Cubarsi struck a powerful low shot from long range. Lammens made the save, but Merino rushed in and slotted the ball into the net with his left foot. Merino has now scored the winning goal in two consecutive matches, following the Round of 16 game against Portugal, and has led Spain to their first World Cup semifinal in 16 years.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.