What we're watching
• Semifinal match up set: Spain will meet France for the first semifinal set after La Roja scored a late winning goal in the second half to beat Belgium 2-1.
• Highlights: In the first half, Fabián Ruiz scored the opener for Spain before La Roja conceded their first goal of World Cup 2026 to the Red Devils as Charles De Ketelaere equalized for Belgium. Finally, Mikel Merino scored the winning goal for Spain.
• Belgium lost key players: The Red Devils started the quarterfinal in California without captain Youri Tielemans, who suffered an injury during warmup, and lost keeper Thibault Courtois to injury in the second half.
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Full-time: Spain grabs a late winner and heads to the semifinal
And that’s it! What a thrilling end to this match as Spain grabs a late winner to beat Belgium, 2-1.
It’s brutal for the Belgians, who hung in right until the very end. But one mistake from a substitute keeper, and the Red Devils are out of the World Cup.
Spain moves on to face France in the semifinal.
So near yet so far for Belgium
Could that have been the moment for Belgium to get themselves back in this game?
Belgium hits Spain on the break and Unai Simón has inexplicably come right out of his goal.
It’s a poor cross from Alexis Saelemaekers and Aymeric Laporte spares his goalkeeper’s blushes to clear away.
A better delivery there from the Belgian and Spain would’ve been in all sorts of trouble.
Heartbreak for Lammens
Moments and fine margins decide matches and Senne Lammens will be reflecting long and hard on his error that has potentially gifted Spain a semifinal spot.
Belgium’s defense could probably have done more to close down the long range effort from Pau Cubarsi but Merino was quickest to bounce and that could be the difference.
Belgium now has just over five minutes to find a route back into this game and keep its World Cup hopes alive.
Goal! Spain scores late to take the lead
Is that the winner?! Surely it is.
Just when things were drifting towards extra-time, Senne Lammens drops a clanger in the Belgium goal and Mikel Merino taps in from close range to give Spain a 2-1 lead.
The Arsenal man has a knack for scoring late goals and he’s done so again here.
Potential heartbreak for Belgium.
Backs to the walls stuff from Belgium
After the early burst of attacking intent in this second half, it’s back to how we were set in the early stages of this match with Belgium soaking up Spanish pressure.
The Red Devils are sitting deeper and deeper in their half but to their credit the centre backs of Brandon Mechele and Nathan Ngoy are holding firm.
Newly introduced left back Joaquin Seys is so far containing the threat posed by Lamine Yamal but the Belgium defense will know that they can be undone by one moment of Spanish magic.
Belgium has now made all five of its substitutions, with Kevin De Bruyne coming off, so Rudi Garcia is out of cards to play.
Tricks and flicks but no end product for Spain
Spain looks great up until the ball gets close to Belgium’s box.
La Roja then lacks quality and intent, opting instead for little flicks around corners that result in turning over possession.
Belgium has defended well up to this point but will be getting tired under this sweltering heat. A little more care and Spain could find a winner here.
Winger Nico Williams is now on and the 23-year-old will fancy his chances with fresh legs. He’s been out injured for much of this tournament but he’s needed now by his team.
Another setback for Belgium as Thibaut Courtois goes off injured
When your luck is out, it’s out.
First captain Youri Tielemans, now talisman goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois has had to leave the pitch with what looks to be a thigh injury.
The Belgian is visibly emotional as he walks off the field.
He’s replaced by his understudy Senne Lammens.
It’s a big loss for Belgium but Lammens has more than proved himself at Manchester United this past season.
We're back from the second hydration break
La Rojas and the Red Devils are back on the pitch for the final “quarter” of the second half.
Thibaut Courtois thwarting Spain
If there’s one Belgian player who knows about Spain’s attacking threat better than most it’s goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois.
Courtois, rated among the best keepers in world football, has previously played for Atletico Madrid before moving to cross-city rivals Real Madrid after a spell at Chelsea.
He’s been as sharp as ever today in making routine saves to keep out Lamine Yamal and Mikel Oyarzabal.
The 34-year-old did go down clutching his left thigh just before the hydration break but is back up and moving. A sigh of relief I’m sure for all Belgium supporters!
Feels like Lamine Yamal is on the edge of something special
Thibaut Courtois has been brilliant in goal so far for Belgium because Spain is really ramping up the pressure.
Every time Lamine Yamal gets on the ball, there is a sense of expectation with the 18-year-old getting the better of his defender at almost every opprtunity since the break.
He keeps cutting in and threatening to unleash that lethal left-footed shot but he just hasn’t been able to pull the trigger yet.
You sense it’s getting closer, though.
The "third quarter" is done and so are my nerves
There’s the second hydration break and the “third quarter” has come to a close.
Somewhat concerningly for Spain fans in this second half, Belgium grew into the match, albeit slowly. The Red Devils are beginning to find a few more chances and are playing a bit more open than they were in the first half.
You have to wonder if Belgium boss Rudi Garcia reminded them, “We need to score more goals to win,” or if he said that Spain will eventually win if the Belgians just sit back and don’t try to have more initiative.
Still though, Belgium is allowing Spain more of the ball and letting it make the first move, relying on reactions on the counter to get something going. It’s working as La Roja’s finishing in the final third is as sloppy as it was in the first half. Sensing the need for some change, Luis de la Fuente put Pedri and Ferrán Torres onto the pitch. The Barça duo might have a bit more luck combining with the front line, especially with Pedri’s creativity.
The nerves are well and truly back for me, so let’s hope for a Spain goal (or two) to alleviate my pain.
Doku causing havoc down Spain's right hand side
Beglium is growing in confidence and so too is Jérémy Doku.
He’s proving to be a real handful for Spain’s defense, in particular right back Pedro Porro who is well and truly being given the runaround.
Not only is the Belgian winger linking up well with his left back, he’s carrying the ball, committing Spanish defenders and midfielders and allowing Belgium to get up the pitch.
If Spain doesn’t shut down this fast it could be punished.
Romelu Lukaku thriving in super sub role for Belgium
It’s hard to think of a player who has had a bigger impact off the substitute’s bench this tournament than Belgium’s record goalscorer, Romelu Lukaku.
Four appearances off the bench, four different games, four game-changing moments.
In Belgium’s opening group game against Egypt, the team was trailing 1-0 and looked bereft of ideas until the introduction of Lukaku forced an equalizing own goal.
He then had another instant impact against New Zealand, scoring a goal shortly after coming on to put Belgium top of the group.
History repeated itself when the Red Devils faced Senegal in the Round of 32 with the 33-year-old scoring the goal that prompted a remarkable turnaround as Belgium recovered from 2-0 down to win 3-2.
And then against the United States in the last 16, his sublime strike topped off a comprehensive 4-1 victory.
With his goal tally currently at three, he’s also become the first Belgian player to score on three occasions at multiple World Cups – the other time in 2018 as Belgium finished the tournament in third place.
He’s just come on now.
Spain knocking on the door early in this second half
Belgium’s equalizer at the end of that first half would have shaken Spain a bit but it came out after the break with a fresh sense of impetus, flooding forward at every opportunity.
Lamine Yamal is working himself into some good positions but is yet to find enough space to take a proper effort on goal. Dani Olmo also had a shot on goal but saw his effort fly high and wide.
Feels very similar to the start of the first 45 minutes so far.
Pedri and Ferran Torres have both just been introduced as Spain looks for some more quality in the final third.
Belgium looks to punish Spain's high line
If there’s one thing Rudi Garcia would’ve noted in that first half, it’s Belgium’s ability to expose Spain’s high line.
There were a few opportunities towards the end of the half when the team’s main attacking threats in De Ketelaere and Doku were left one-on-one against Spain’s backline.
Only a sloppy pass or interception prevented them from breaking through, so Spain’s defense will have to be on high alert in this second half.
Let’s not forget, Belgium, with 14 goals, is the joint second-highest scorers alongside Argentina and only behind France (16).
And we’re back from halftime
Halftime is over as Spain and Belgium retake the field for the final half of play with a trip to the semifinal on the line. The score is all tied up at 1-1 after Belgium’s thrilling equalizer.
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You may be seeing a lot of pink cleats on the pitch. Here's why
Adidas, Nike, Puma, New Balance and Skechers all unveiled new lines of cleats ahead of the tournament. But just why did so many pledged to pink simultaneously?
Adidas calls it "Solar Turbo." Puma calls it "Poison Pink." Whatever the name, bright pink cleats have become the unofficial uniform of the 2026 World Cup. Here's why nearly every major brand landed on the same color.
For starters, bright colors inject visibility – not merely for players looking to find each other amid the chaos of a World Cup match, but also for brands looking to draw the gazes of millions of onlooking fans towards their logo.
Yet modern soccer stars are also their own personal brands. With five of New Balance’s own ambassadorial roster that are featuring at the tournament – Eberechi Eze (England), Bukayo Saka (England), Endrick (Brazil), Timothy Weah (US) and Yan Diomande (Ivory Coast) – boasting a combined 32 million Instagram followers, expressing confidence and personality is now an integral consideration of cleat design.
New Balance’s methodology is echoed by their rivals at Nike, who say there has been an increased demand for bolder colors from athletes and consumers alike.
Whatever the reasons, the result is somewhat ironic. When so many players are donning pink, arguably the most visible cleats at this year’s tournament are those splashed with any other color.
Granted, Lionel Messi was always likely to attract more eyeballs than any other player, but the Argentine icon has sported custom-made Adidas cleats that are etched in the light blue and white hues of his country.
USA captain Christian Pulisic donned a similar color scheme with his star-spattered Puma signature shoes against Paraguay.
For the vast majority of stars at this World Cup, though, the pitch is a place for pink.
Rudi Garcia eyes slice of history
At the start of the tournament, 27 countries had non-nationals at the helm, up from nine four years ago.
Frenchman Rudi Garcia and German Thomas Tuchel remain in contention to become the first foreign coach to lift the trophy with Belgium and England, respectively.
Belgium are no strangers to employing non-national coaches.
Spain’s Roberto Martinez took them to a third-place finish in 2018 - their best ever finish at a World Cup.
Garcia has extensive pedigree in the game having managed a series of clubs in France and Italy as well as Saudi side Al Nassr.
But if he’s able mastermind one of the biggest wins in the country’s modern era against Spain it’ll surely be the cherry on top of his coaching CV to date.
Halftime and it's all knotted up
There’s the whistle from referee Michael Oliver and the teams are heading to the dressing rooms.
Well, I had been well and truly freed from my pre-match anxiety following Fabián Ruiz’s goal in the 30th minute, but then the header from Charles De Ketelaere against the run of play in the 41st brought me right back into the abyss of nerves.
The Belgian goal really breathed some life into the Red Devils, and they had some bright play for the following few minutes, but then things kind of settled back into the original vibes of the match with Spain controlling possession and probing Belgium’s defense over and over.
This does feel like a heavyweight title fight where the champion knocks down the contender early on, but the challenger comes back and shocks the champ with a good shot to say, “Hey, I’m still here, let’s do this.”
The good news for you all is we have a game on our hands; the bad news for me is we have a game on our hands.
I still think the winds favor a La Roja win, but perhaps this won’t be as simple as many expected.
