Tielemans injury leaves Belgium short in Spain World Cup loss

Youri Tielemans was ruled out of Belgium’s starting lineup in the warmup at SoFi Stadium, and Hans Vanaken stepped in before the Red Devils fell 2-1 to Spain in the World Cup quarterfinals on July 10, 2026. Fabián Ruiz put Spain ahead in the 30th minute, Charles De Ketelaere answered for Belgium in the 41st, and Mikel Merino struck in the 88th to send Spain through.

Tielemans had been central to Belgium’s path to Los Angeles. He played in every group-stage match, scored twice in the 3-2 comeback against Senegal in the round of 32, and started in the 4-1 win over the United States. After the loss to Spain, he pointed to physical exhaustion as a major factor in Belgium’s exit.

Belgium’s problems deepened in the second half when Thibaut Courtois left injured in the 71st minute. The goalkeeper was making his 21st World Cup appearance, the second-highest total for a goalkeeper in tournament history, before being replaced. With Tielemans unavailable from the start and Courtois forced off after the break, Belgium reshaped its lineup.

Spain’s victory ended Belgium’s unbeaten run in the tournament and sent La Roja into the semifinals against France in Arlington, Texas. This was Belgium’s third quarterfinal in four World Cups and its fourth overall. Previous wins came over Spain in 1982 and Brazil in 2018, and the loss came against Argentina in 2014.