Spain defeated Belgium 2-1 to become the second semi-finalist of the 2026 World Cup. This was reported by Qazaqyia.kz citing Kursiv Media.

Match Overview

Quarter-final, July 11, Los Angeles, SoFi Stadium.

**SPAIN – BELGIUM 2:1 (1:1)**

Goals: Ruiz 30 (1:0), de Ketelaere 41 (1:1), Merino 88 (2:1)

The teams treated each other with utmost respect and caution, so before the first water break the game could hardly be called exciting. Everything changed when coaches Luis de la Fuente and Rudi Garcia used a commercial timeout to give additional instructions to their players, giving the 'game of thrones' new impetus based on initial reconnaissance.

In the 30th minute, Lamine Yamal delivered a cross from the right flank into the center of the penalty area. Thibaut Courtois parried Dani Olmo's shot but was powerless against Fabian Ruiz's rebound – 1:0. Soon the Spanish wonderkid could have scored himself but hit the side netting.

Then Belgium created a goal out of nothing, using almost their first real chance at goal. In the 41st minute, the USA's nemesis Charles de Ketelaere, hovering on the offside line, received a cross from Timothy Castagne and, beating Pau Cubarsi, headed the ball into the net. Unai Simon's clean sheet streak ended at 649 minutes. Spain conceded for the first time at the 2026 World Cup – 1:1.

Second Half

After the break, the pattern of play did not change. Spain spent more time in the opponent's half. Their opponents, acting very compactly in defense and not giving space, responded with sharp counterattacks. In the 55th minute, Maxim De Cuyper, finishing a elegant combination by Kevin De Bruyne and Jeremy Doku, almost tore Simon's net. But, like Yamal, from the outside.

Midway through the second half, Courtois got injured. The Madrid goalkeeper of the Belgians, well known to fans of Kairat, gave way to Manchester United's Senne Lammens. The forced substitution proved fatal. In the 88th minute, Lammens poorly parried Cubarsi's shot, and Mikel Merino, who had come on just 2 minutes earlier, put Spain ahead 2:1.

The final assault by the 'Red Devils' came to nothing. The goalkeeper's unfortunate injury kept them out of the semi-finals.

Other Results

**Round of 16:** - SOUTH AFRICA – CANADA 0:1 - BRAZIL – JAPAN 2:1 - GERMANY – PARAGUAY a.e.t. 1:1, pen. 3:4 - NETHERLANDS – MOROCCO a.e.t. 1:1, pen. 2:3 - IVORY COAST – NORWAY 1:2 - FRANCE – SWEDEN 3:0 - MEXICO – ECUADOR 2:0 - ENGLAND – DR CONGO 2:1 - BELGIUM – SENEGAL 3:2 - USA – BOSNIA AND HERZEGOVINA 2:0 - SPAIN – AUSTRIA 3:0 - PORTUGAL – CROATIA 2:1 - SWITZERLAND – ALGERIA 2:0 - AUSTRALIA – EGYPT a.e.t. 1:1, pen. 2:4 - ARGENTINA – CAPE VERDE a.e.t. 3:2 - COLOMBIA – GHANA 1:0

**Quarter-finals:** - CANADA – MOROCCO 0:3 - PARAGUAY – FRANCE 0:1 - BRAZIL – NORWAY 1:2 - MEXICO – ENGLAND 2:3 - PORTUGAL – SPAIN 0:1 - USA – BELGIUM 1:3 - ARGENTINA – EGYPT 3:2 - SWITZERLAND – COLOMBIA a.e.t. 0:0, pen. 4:3

**Semi-finals:** - NORWAY – ENGLAND - ARGENTINA – SWITZERLAND

About the Tournament

The 23rd edition of the World Cup final tournament started on June 11. The global football forum is being held for the first time in three countries – the USA, Canada, and Mexico – and for the first time features 48 teams.

After the group stage, the top two teams from each group and the eight best third-placed teams continued the competition. After two knockout rounds, eight teams were vying for the main trophy. As of today, six remain – France, Spain, Norway, England, Argentina, and Switzerland.

The 2026 World Cup will conclude on the night of July 19-20 with the final match in New York.