Spain 2-1 Belgium: Five key takeaways from FIFA World Cup 2026 quarter-final clash

Spain will face France in the semifinals of the FIFA World Cup 2026.

Spain have defeated Belgium 2-1 to secure a berth in the semifinals of the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

The game started with Spain playing attacking football while dominating in possession. Fabian Ruiz, who was playing in the place of Pedri, broke the deadlock for La Roja in the 30th minute. Soon, Charles De Ketelaere found an opening and headed a delivery by Timothy Castagne into the net (41′).

After coming close to scoring multiple times in the second half, the 2010 champions finally got a winner in the dying minutes, which was scored by Mikel Merino. Nevertheless, despite being eliminated, it’s fair to say that the Red Devils have gritty performances.

On that note, let’s take a look at the five key takeaways from the FIFA World Cup 2026 clash:

5. Mikel Merino strikes again

While Romelu Lukaku was expected to continue his scoring streak against Spain as a super sub, Mikel Merino took the tag. The Arsenal attacker did that exact thing he did during La Roja’s triumph over Portugal in the round of 16. After being subbed in at Dani Olmo’s place in the 86th minute, he quickly found himself in the right position to net the ball into the goal.

4. Thibaut Courtois fails to keep a clean sheet in four consecutive games

The last time Belgian veteran Thibaut Courtois kept a clean sheet in the ongoing FIFA World Cup was against Iran, when they played a goalless draw. Before playing in the quarter-finals, the Real Madrid custodian had already conceded four goals in three games.

The 2018 FIFA World Cup Golden Glove winner has faced issues in the ongoing campaign. However, his performance has still been decent. Before being substituted in the 70th minute against La Roja due to a hamstring issue, the 34-year-old made four saves.

Also Read: Thibaut Courtois injured during Spain vs Belgium FIFA World Cup 2026 quarterfinal

3. Lamine Yamal’s efforts are not being converted

Lamine Yamal was the best player on the pitch in the first half of the quarterfinal clash between Spain and Belgium. He won eight duals and took the most shots (three) while winning the most fouls and having the highest successful take-ons.

The Barcelona attacker caused significant issues for the Belgian defence and became the first player to complete 20 dribbles in the 2026 World Cup. However, the 18-year-old was heavily marked throughout the game by the Red Devils, as he failed to convert any chances into goals.

2. Mikel Oyarzabal’s reliability

La Roja still have a centre-forward issue. Mikel Oyarzabal has scored four goals in the ongoing World Cup campaign. Both his braces come against Austria and Saudi Arabia, which are lower-ranked sides compared to Uruguay and Portugal.

Meanwhile, against the latter two nations, he had given a rather lacklustre performance. He manages to stay in the box and is normally the player with the most touches in the opposition box. However, much like Lamine Yamal, his attempts are not getting converted into goals.

La Roja do not enjoy playing aggressive football; however, in the second half against Belgium, they decided to go all in with their frontline. Still, they had to wait until the last minute for a goal.

1. Belgium became the first nation to score against Spain

Belgium, which had scored 12 goals in its last three games before facing the European champions in the quarterfinals, became the first nation in the 2026 FIFA World Cup to get past Unai Simón.

Spain’s centre-back duo, Pau Cubarsi and Aymeric Laporte, were also tested against Portugal. However, against Belgium, they were caught off guard by the Red Devils’ attack once in the first half, which was eventually enough for Charles De Ketelaere to find the back of the net.

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