Merino sends Spain past Belgium into World Cup semifinals

Mikel Merino came off the bench and sent Spain past Belgium 2-1 with an 88th-minute finish at Los Angeles Stadium in Inglewood, pushing Luis de la Fuente’s team into the World Cup semifinals for only the second time in its history. The crowd tilted heavily toward Spain as the final whistle confirmed a place in the last four and kept alive the pursuit of a second world title.

Spain had taken control early through Fabián Ruiz, who opened the scoring in the 30th minute, but Charles De Ketelaere answered before halftime to pull Belgium level. The match then turned on Spain’s depth and Belgium’s attrition. Spain had gone 649 minutes without conceding in World Cup play before De Ketelaere broke that run, a marker of how tight the team had been defensively through the tournament.

Belgium arrived at the decisive stretch short on options. Captain Youri Tielemans was ruled out shortly before kickoff after a problem in the warm-up, and Thibaut Courtois left in the 71st minute with a left thigh issue. Senne Lammens, making his debut in the middle of a knockout match, replaced Courtois and was caught in the sequence that led to Merino’s winner after the Belgian substitute could not fully clear the danger. Courtois later said he felt a sharp pull when striking a long ball and chose not to continue rather than risk finishing at less than full fitness.

For Spain, the result carried more weight than a single knockout win. This is the country’s second semifinal appearance in a World Cup, matching only the run that ended with the 2010 title. The present side looks different from that one, with Lamine Yamal and Nico Williams giving Spain pace and width on the flanks, and with Pedri, Fabián Ruiz and Merino adding control and late arrivals in attack. De la Fuente has built a team that has been able to win in different ways, and the next step will show whether this group has become more than a promising collection of talents.

That test comes quickly. Spain will face France in the semifinal scheduled for Tuesday, July 14, 2026, in Dallas, a meeting that will define whether this tournament becomes a landmark or a promising pause. Belgium, meanwhile, leaves with the sense that its so-called Golden Generation may have reached its final great World Cup chance, a reality Axel Witsel acknowledged as the team now turns toward a younger future.