FIFA World Cup 2026: Spain Beat Belgium 2-1 to Set Up Semi-Final Clash with France

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Pakistan Times    The Pakistan Times 

 Islamabad Times


Spain have qualified for the semi-finals of the FIFA World Cup 2026 after a hard-fought 2-1 victory over Belgium in the quarter-final at the SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles. This is Spain's first World Cup semi-final appearance since they won the tournament in 2010. Spain will now face France in the semi-finals, which will be played on July 14 at the Dallas Stadium.


The hero of Spain's victory was once again substitute Mikel Merino, who scored a dramatic goal in the 88th minute to secure the win. Merino pounced on a loose ball after Belgium's replacement goalkeeper Senne Lammens spilled Pau Cubarsi's long-range strike and scored from close range. This was the second time Merino had scored a decisive goal as a substitute in the tournament, having previously done so against Portugal in the Round of 16.


Spain started the match strongly and took the lead in the 30th minute when Fabian Ruiz converted Dani Olmo's saved shot into the goal. However, Belgium equalized just before half-time when Charles De Ketelaere headed home from a Timothy Castagne cross in the 41st minute. This was the first goal conceded by Spain goalkeeper Unai Simon in the entire tournament, who had also set a record of 560 minutes without conceding a goal.


Belgium suffered a major setback in the 71st minute when their goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois was injured and forced to leave the field, replaced by Senne Lammens. Shortly after, Merino capitalized on Lammens' error and scored the winning goal.


With this victory, Spain extended their unbeaten run to 36 matches, matching Argentina's record. They are now just one step away from equaling Italy's record of 37 matches. Spain coach Luis de la Fuente said that the team's character and determination were the keys to this success and that they have the ability to beat France.


For Belgium, this was yet another disappointing tournament. Despite having experienced players like Kevin De Bruyne and Romelu Lukaku, they once again failed to win a major international trophy.


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