Spain advanced to the World Cup semifinals after a dramatic 2-1 victory over Belgium, decided by a late error from Belgian goalkeeper Senne Lammens. The match, held at SoFi Stadium, saw Spain maintain their unbeaten run in minutes played at the tournament, having not conceded a goal until Charles De Ketelaere equalized before halftime.
Spain took the lead in the first half through Fabian Ruiz, who finished a chance created by a quick passing sequence involving Lamine Yamal and Pedro Porro. Ruiz's goal came after Belgium's defense was breached following a period of Spanish dominance in possession. However, De Ketelaere leveled the score shortly before halftime, heading in a cross from Timothy Castagne, assisted by Kevin De Bruyne. This marked the first shot on target for Belgium in the match.
Match Developments
The game saw early challenges for Belgium, with captain Youri Tielemans injured in the warm-up and Amadou Onana already sidelined. Kevin De Bruyne captained the side in Tielemans' absence. Spain's Unai Simon had a record-setting streak of 650 World Cup minutes without conceding before De Ketelaere's goal.
In the second half, both teams had opportunities. Belgium appealed for a penalty when the ball struck Rodri's arm, but the referee and VAR did not award it. The decisive moment came late in the match when Belgium's starting goalkeeper, Thibaut Courtois, appeared to sustain a thigh injury and was replaced by Lammens. Shortly after entering the game, Lammens misjudged a shot, spilling it to allow substitute Mikel Merino to score the winning goal with two minutes left in extra time. Merino, who also scored a late winner in the previous round against Portugal, secured Spain's place in the semifinals.
Spain will now face France in the next stage of the tournament. Belgium's World Cup campaign concludes with the team facing multiple injuries to key players.