Merino stuns Belgium late as Spain reach World Cup semifinals

Mikel Merino delivered another late rescue act on Friday, scoring in the 88th minute to send Spain past Belgium 2-1 at Los Angeles Stadium in Inglewood, California, and into the World Cup semifinals. The substitute’s decisive finish, his second touch after coming on in the 86th minute, extended a pattern that has become Spain’s tournament signature and sent Luis de la Fuente’s side into its first semifinal since 2010.

Spain had taken control early through Fabián Ruiz, who opened the scoring in the 30th minute after an attack built by Lamine Yamal and Pedro Porro. Belgium answered before halftime when Charles De Ketelaere levelled in the 41st minute, ending Spain’s run of 650 minutes in the tournament without conceding. That equaliser gave Belgium a foothold, but it never fully recovered once the match began to swing toward Spain’s bench.

The decisive break came after Thibaut Courtois left in the 71st minute, crying and apparently dealing with a thigh injury. Senne Lammens, making his World Cup debut for Manchester United, came on in his place and was immediately forced into a difficult role against Spain’s late pressure. He was beaten when Pau Cubarsí tried a long-range effort that Lammens failed to hold cleanly, and Merino pounced to settle the match.

Belgium’s night had already been unsettled before kick-off, when captain Youri Tielemans withdrew in the warm-up with an injury and Hans Vanaken replaced him. Courtois’ departure only deepened the damage, leaving Belgium without its most reliable organiser at the back at the moment Spain began pressing hardest. The defeat ended Belgium’s 18-match unbeaten run and preserved Spain’s own surge, a 37-match streak without defeat that has lasted since March 2023.

Merino’s finish also underlined how Spain have been winning in this tournament. He had already produced a decisive late goal as a substitute against Portugal in the round of 16, and Friday’s strike repeated the same script at a more dangerous stage. Spain will face France on Tuesday in the Dallas area, carrying both momentum and a growing habit of finishing matches when others are fading.