DID Press: Spain secured their place in the 2026 FIFA World Cup semi-finals after defeating Belgium 2-1 in a dramatic quarter-final encounter, becoming the second team to reach the final four of the tournament.
Fabián Ruiz opened the scoring for Spain in the 30th minute, but Belgium responded through Charles De Ketelaere 11 minutes later to level the match before halftime.
As the game appeared to be heading into extra time, Mikel Merino scored the decisive goal in the 88th minute after capitalizing on a mistake by Belgium’s substitute goalkeeper.
Belgium suffered a major setback in the second half when first-choice goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois was forced off due to injury. His replacement’s error eventually contributed to Spain’s winning goal.
Spain dominated possession and created more attacking opportunities throughout the match, earning a deserved place among the tournament’s final four teams.
With this victory, Spain will face France in the semi-finals of the 2026 World Cup. The highly anticipated clash will determine the first finalist of the tournament.