İspanya Defeats Belçika 2-1 to Reach the World Cup Semi-Finals!

In the 2026 FIFA World Cup quarter-final match, İspanya and Belçika faced off at the stadium in Los Angeles. The first half of the match was a competitive struggle where both teams scored goals, but the half ended in a 1-1 draw. İspanya continued their dominant performance on the pitch in the second half, causing difficult moments for their opponent. With the final whistle, İspanya managed to defeat Belçika 2-1. With this important victory, the Spaniards earned the right to continue their journey in the tournament at the semi-final stage.

The breaking points and goals of the match were shaped by the performances of the star players of both teams. The player who opened the scoring for İspanya was Fabián Ruiz in the 30th minute, while Belçika's equalizer was scored by Charles De Ketelaere in the 41st minute. Continuing their attacks relentlessly in the second half, İspanya found the winning goal they were looking for through Mikel Merino in the 88th minute. This crucial goal was the most important factor guaranteeing İspanya's advancement against Belçika. Throughout the match, Belçikalı goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois's saving of numerous dangerous shots from the Spaniards stood out as another factor that kept the score so balanced.

Throughout the match, particularly the playmaking and shots of İspanya's young star Lamine Yamal drew attention, but he struggled significantly to find the expected goal. Yamal failed to convert clear chances he found in the 20., 34., and 39. minutes into goals. On the Belçika side, the fierce battle between the team's star player Kevin De Bruyne and Yamal was one of the most talked-about topics of the match. Towards the final minutes of the match, injuries and player substitutions on the pitch stood out as decisive factors directly affecting the game strategies of both teams.

Both head coaches attempted to change the course of the match by making squad rotations. Starting the match on the bench for İspanya, Pedri's entry into the game later on attracted significant attention. On the Belçika side, introducing effective forward Romelu Lukaku into the game in the second half aimed to add physical superiority to the team. Although Belçika wanted to turn the game in their favor with a triple substitution made in the 60. minute, İspanya's disciplined defense thwarted these efforts. Furthermore, the removal of Belçika captain De Bruyne from the game in the later minutes of the match allowed the Spaniards to take complete control of the midfield.

Significant developments and injury concerns also occurred in this fiercely contested quarter-final match of the tournament. In the first half, Timothy Castagne's injury and subsequent treatment following a collision with an İspanyol player created a situation that shook the Belçika defense. Towards the end of the match, Thibaut Courtois suffering an injury and having to be taken out of the game, with Senne Lammens replacing him, created a major disadvantage for Belçika. As the advancing side, İspanya has now turned their eyes to the Fransa match, which will be played on 14 Temmuz and carries the atmosphere of a major final.