Spain continued their march toward the 2026 World Cup title, edging Belgium 2-1 in the quarter-final thanks to an 88th-minute winner from Mikel Merino — the very same man who ended Portugal's run in the previous round. (ESPN)
Late drama, again
Fabián Ruiz opened the scoring for Spain before Charles De Ketelaere levelled for Belgium. Just as the tie looked set for extra time, the decisive moment arrived in the 88th minute: Belgium's substitute goalkeeper Senne Lammens spilled a routine shot inside the box, and Mikel Merino was quickest to react, slamming home the rebound to snatch the win in the closing minutes. (Al Jazeera) (CNN)
A dark night for Belgium in goal
Belgium were especially unlucky in the goalkeeping department: they started without captain Youri Tielemans, injured in the warmup, then lost first-choice keeper Thibaut Courtois to injury in the second half — leaving substitute Lammens to make the decisive error for the winning goal. A combination of factors that dumped the Red Devils out on the edge of the last four. (ESPN)
A European summit in the semi-finals
With this win, Spain reach the World Cup semi-finals and set up a blockbuster tie against France, who knocked out Morocco 2-0 in their quarter-final. It is a clash between two sides at the peak of their form, promising an exceptional night with a direct ticket to the final on the line.
Follow Malaab Al-An for full coverage of the 2026 World Cup semi-finals.
