Merino's late goal sends Spain into World Cup semifinals

Spain advanced to the World Cup semifinals, but only after Mikel Merino’s 88th-minute goal broke Belgium’s resistance and exposed how close Luis de la Fuente’s side came to exiting in Los Angeles. The 2-1 win at Los Angeles Stadium in Inglewood, California, offered two readings at once: championship resolve from Spain, and a warning sign for a favorite that needed a late rebound to escape.

Fabián Ruiz put Spain ahead in the 30th minute, finishing a phase of pressure that gave de la Fuente’s team the early control it wanted. Belgium answered before halftime through Charles De Ketelaere in the 41st minute, and the match tightened from there under English referee Michael Oliver. The decisive moment came late, when Belgium’s backup goalkeeper Senne Lammens, on after Thibaut Courtois was forced off injured, mishandled the sequence that left Merino to finish from the rebound.

Merino’s winner continued a pattern that has turned him into Spain’s emergency solution in the biggest moments. He had already struck in stoppage time against Portugal in the round of 16, and this latest goal again came after he had entered from the bench. Spain’s semifinal against France will now take place at Dallas Stadium, in a matchup FIFA described as one of the biggest in World Cup history.

The quarterfinal also reinforced how much Spain has leaned on depth and timing rather than one singular attacking centerpiece. FIFA named Lamine Yamal as the match’s Superior Player, a recognition that reflected his influence even in a game decided by Merino’s late intervention. Spain arrived at the quarterfinal carrying an unbeaten run that matched Argentina’s stretch from 2019 to 2022, with only Italy’s 37-match run between 2018 and 2021 standing above it.

For Belgium, the loss turned on a narrow margin and a sudden change in goal. Courtois’ injury altered the contest before Lammens’ error finished it, and Belgium never recovered from conceding so late against a Spain side that keeps finding ways to survive. The scoreboard said 2-1. The path there suggested a team still strong enough to reach a semifinal, but not yet beyond pressure.