Spain beats Belgium in dramatic World Cup quarterfinal, advances to semis

Spain’s national football team defeated Belgium 2-1 in a thrilling World Cup quarterfinal on Friday, booking a semifinal spot against France.

Fabian Ruiz opened the scoring in the 30th minute when his shot deflected off Timothy Castagne and into the net. Charles De Ketelaere equalized in the 41st minute with a header from Castagne’s cross. That goal ended Spain goalkeeper Unai Simon’s 650-minute streak without conceding, which dated back to the 2022 World Cup match against Japan.

Belgium goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois made a key save in the 63rd minute but was forced off with an injury in the 71st minute, replaced by Senne Lammens. The substitution proved costly when Lammens mishandled a long-range shot from Pau Cubarsi in the 88th minute, spilling the ball to Mikel Merino, who scored the winner.

Spain’s tournament path: a 0-0 draw with Cape Verde, wins over Saudi Arabia (4-0) and Uruguay (1-0), a 3-0 victory over Austria in the round of 16, and a 1-0 win over Portugal in the quarterfinal. Belgium opened with a 1-1 draw against Egypt, a 0-0 draw with Iran, and a 5-1 thrashing of New Zealand. They beat Senegal 3-2 after extra time and the USA 4-1 in the knockout rounds.

The last meeting between the two sides was a 2016 friendly won by Spain. Thirty years ago, Belgium defeated Spain on penalties in the World Cup quarterfinal. Spain last reached the semifinals in 2010, when they won the tournament. Belgium won bronze in 2018 but failed to advance from the group stage in 2022.

The 2026 World Cup is the first with 48 teams, co-hosted by the USA, Mexico, and Canada. The defending champions are Argentina.