Spain vs Belgium
Photography by: Lorena Barros
Four days after scoring a stoppage-time winner against Portugal, Mikel Merino 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.
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 goal-scoring 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. It would prove to be a costly injury and substitution.
Just when everyone thought the contest would go into extra time, Pau Cubarsí tried his luck from distance and caught Lammens off guard. Although the substitute keeper was able to get behind the low effort, he failed to hold onto the ball and spilled it near the mouth of the goal. The always alert Mikel Merino reacted first, pounced on the rebound, and blasted it into the roof of the net in stride. It was enough to send all the Spain fans into pandemonium and punch La Roja’s ticket to the semifinals.
Spain's unbeaten run now stretches to 36 matches, equaling Argentina's streak from 2019 to 2022 and leaving them one shy of Italy's all-time international record.
