Why is Pedri benched for Spain vs Belgium in FIFA World Cup 2026 quarter-final?
(Courtesy : Getty)
Pedri was named among the substitutes in the Spain vs Belgium clash tonight.
Spain face Belgium in the FIFA World Cup 2026 quarter-final clash at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California, on July 10. La Roja are aiming to reach the semi-finals for only the second time in history and have named a strong starting lineup for tonight’s clash.
Head coach Luis de la Fuente fielded a largely unchanged side. However, he opted for just one alteration, with Pedri relegated to the bench. In his place, Paris Saint-Germain midfielder Fabian Ruiz paired with Rodri in the middle of the park, with Dani Olmo starting in an advanced role.
Lamine Yamal and Alex Baena started on the wings, and Mikel Oyarzabal was the centre-forward. Pau Cubarsi and Aymeric Laporte were the central defenders, joined by the full-backs Pedro Porro and Marc Cucurella. Unai Simon started between the sticks.
Also Read: Spain starting lineup vs Belgium confirmed
Why is Pedri not starting tonight?
Replacing Pedri with Fabian Ruiz in the starting lineup was a huge call from de la Fuente. The Barcelona midfielder started all five matches for La Roja in the expanded 48-team World Cup in North America.
He has been a standout performer, including in the shock goalless draw against Cape Verde. He has also combined well with his club teammate Dani Olmo. However, the pair were rather ineffective in the match against Portugal, which was won by a late goal from Mikel Merino.
On the other hand, Fabian Ruiz started only the first game against Cape Verde. Since then, he has not played more than half an hour of football in any match, totalling just six minutes in the last two matches combined.
Despite this, his impact was almost immediate after coming on against Portugal in the 85th minute. His forward passing allowed Merino to create space up front, effectively allowing the winning goal. As a result, de la Fuente has made the gamble of starting Ruiz from the beginning, hoping to inject some fresh energy into midfield against a strong Belgium side.
Why is Pedri benched vs Belgium?
He was dropped to the bench due to tactical reasons. Luis de la Fuente opted to start Fabian Ruiz alongside Rodri in midfield.
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Sushruta has spent over two years covering football, with a particular focus on Indian and international competitions. Alongside football, he has reported on a variety of sports, bringing curiosity and perspective to every story. When he’s not following the action, he can usually be found binge-watching movies or getting lost in a good book.