Mikel Merino scored in the 88th minute, a rebound goal that propelled Spain to a 2-1 victory over Belgium and into the World Cup semifinals. The win on Friday sends Spain to face tournament favorite France in the semifinals on Tuesday. This marks Spain's first semifinal appearance since their 2010 World Cup victory.
Merino, who also scored the late winning goal in Spain's round of 16 match against Portugal, came on as a substitute in the 86th minute. His decisive goal came on his second touch, pouncing on a rebound after backup Belgium goalkeeper Senne Lammens spilled a long shot from Pau Cubarsí.
“I’ve done this again, and it’s happened to me again, so it would seem that coincidence exists,” Merino said after the match. “If you’re ready and you try, it can happen for you. I’m very, very pleased.”
Belgium’s goalkeeper situation changed in the 71st minute when Thibaut Courtois left the match with an apparent thigh injury. Courtois, who had made four saves, was replaced by Lammens, who had not previously played in the tournament. Belgium captain Youri Tielemans was also unavailable after an injury during warmups.
Spain took the lead in the 30th minute when Fabián Ruiz scored on a rebound from a shot by Dani Olmo, following buildup play from Lamine Yamal and Pedro Porro. Belgium equalized in the 41st minute through Charles De Ketelaere, who headed in a cross from Timothy Castagne. This goal was the first Spain conceded in the entire tournament, ending goalkeeper Unai Simón's streak of 650 minutes without being scored upon.
Spain extended their unbeaten streak to 37 matches, while Belgium's 18-match unbeaten run came to an end. Spain coach Luis De La Fuente described the upcoming semifinal against France as a "clash of giants."