Spain vs Belgium

Photography by: Lorena Barros

Mikel Merino is making a habit of delivering Spain's biggest moments.

Four days after scoring a stoppage-time winner against Portugal, the Arsenal midfielder again emerged from the bench to rescue La Roja, striking in the 88th minute to seal a dramatic 2-1 victory over Belgium in the World Cup quarterfinals and send Spain into a heavyweight semifinal against France.

For the second straight knockout match, Luis de la Fuente's substitutes proved decisive. Merino had been on the pitch for barely two minutes when he capitalized on a costly mistake from Belgium substitute goalkeeper Senne Lammens, whose spilled save handed Spain the breakthrough they had spent much of the evening chasing.

It was a cruel ending for Belgium, who had defended resolutely after losing star goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois to injury midway through the second half.

Spain controlled much of the opening period and looked the more dangerous side from the outset. Lamine Yamal repeatedly troubled Belgium's back line, curling an early effort narrowly wide before helping create the opener just after the half-hour mark.

The 18-year-old combined neatly with Pedro Porro, whose low cutback found Dani Olmo inside the area. Courtois produced an excellent save to deny the first effort, but the rebound fell kindly for Fabián Ruiz, who buried his finish through a slight deflection to give Spain a deserved lead.

Belgium, however, responded with the efficiency that has defined its tournament. Kevin De Bruyne unlocked Spain's defense with a perfectly weighted pass to Timothy Castagne, whose pinpoint cross was met by Charles De Ketelaere. The forward rose ahead of Pau Cubarsí to power a header beyond Unai Simón, ending Spain's remarkable 650-minute World Cup shutout streak—the longest in tournament history.

The second half evolved into a tactical battle, with both teams trading promising spells without finding a breakthrough. Yamal continued to threaten, forcing another sharp save from Courtois, while Belgium nearly turned the match around when Maxim De Cuyper drove into the side netting after a swift counterattack. The Red Devils also appealed unsuccessfully for a penalty after the ball struck Rodri's arm following a deflection.

Belgium's fortunes shifted dramatically in the 71st minute when Courtois, who had once again kept his side alive with several important saves, signaled he could not continue after suffering a muscle injury. The emotional goalkeeper left the field in tears, replaced by Lammens.

The decisive moment arrived late. Pau Cubarsí tried his luck from distance, and although Lammens got behind the low effort, he failed to hold onto the ball. Merino reacted first, pouncing on the rebound and lifting it into the roof of the net before a sea of red erupted behind the goal.

Spain's unbeaten run stretched to 36 matches, equaling Argentina's streak from 2019 to 2022 and leaving them one shy of Italy's all-time international record.

Now, only France stands between La Roja and a return to the World Cup final. With Merino continuing his remarkable run as Spain's ultimate super-sub, few would bet against another dramatic chapter still to come.