Spain 2-1 Belgium - Merino Late Winner Again, La Roja to Semi-Final vs France

Spain beat Belgium 2-1 in the World Cup 2026 quarterfinal at Los Angeles Stadium. Fabian Ruiz scored. Charles De Ketelaere equalised. Then Mikel Merino - off the bench again - won it at 89’.

Same script as Portugal. Same super-sub. La Roja are into the semi-finals vs France in Dallas. Belgium’s 18-game unbeaten run is over. Thibaut Courtois left in tears with a leg injury.

Final score: Spain 2 - Belgium 1

Minute	Event	Score
1’	Belgium early chance - warning shot	0-0
Warm-up	Tielemans injured - Hans Vanaken starts	0-0
11’	Rodri shot blocked by Ngoy	0-0
30’	Fabian Ruiz goal - rebound after Olmo saved	1-0
41’	Charles De Ketelaere header (assist Castagne)	1-1
HT	Spain 63% possession, 9 shots to 2	1-1
55’	Ferran Torres, Pedri on for Baena, Ruiz	1-1
71’	Courtois off injured - tears - Lammens on	1-1
~72’	Lukaku on - end-to-end	1-1
80’	Nico Williams on for Oyarzabal	1-1
~87’	De Bruyne off - Merino on for Olmo	1-1
89’	Mikel Merino winner - rebound after Cubarsi shot	2-1
FT	Spain to semi-final vs France	2-1

Stadium: Los Angeles Stadium (SoFi), Inglewood, California. Referee: Michael Oliver. VAR: Jarred Gillett.

Match chronology

First half - Ruiz scores, De Ketelaere answers

Warm-up: Bad news for Belgium. Youri Tielemans injured before kickoff. Hans Vanaken started instead.

1’: Belgium had an early angled chance. Not a goal - but a message.

11’: Spain settled. Rodri ripped one from near the spot - Nathan Ngoy blocked.

30’: Breakthrough. Dani Olmo shot - Courtois saved. Fabian Ruiz was alone at the back post and smashed it home. Spain 1-0 Belgium.

41’: Equaliser. Kevin De Bruyne slipped Timothy Castagne down the right. Cross. Charles De Ketelaere - the man who haunted the USA - headed in. Spain 1-1 Belgium.

Half-time: Spain 1-1 Belgium. Spain had 63% of the ball and 9 shots to 2. Pau Cubarsi was on a yellow.

Second half - Courtois tears, Merino again

55’: Luis de la Fuente turned to the bench - Ferran Torres and Pedri for Alex Baena and goalscorer Ruiz.

Second half: End-to-end. Maxim De Cuyper smashed into the side netting after a Doku-De Bruyne combo. Lamine Yamal forced Courtois into punch clears. Belgium penalty shout for handball - VAR said no.

71’: Shock. Thibaut Courtois went down with an upper left leg injury. Left the pitch in tears. Senne Lammens (Manchester United) came on.

~72’: Romelu Lukaku entered. The game opened up.

80’: Nico Williams replaced Mikel Oyarzabal.

~87’: De Bruyne off. Spain sent on Mikel Merino for Olmo - the same move that killed Portugal.

89’: History repeats. Pau Cubarsi drove a vicious shot. Lammens could not hold it. Merino pounced on the rebound. Spain 2-1 Belgium.

Full-time: Spain 2-1 Belgium. La Roja into the last four. Belgium go home.

Who scored?

Player	Team	Minute	How
Fabian Ruiz	Spain	30’	Rebound after Olmo saved
Charles De Ketelaere	Belgium	41’	Header (assist Castagne)
Mikel Merino	Spain	89’	Rebound after Cubarsi shot

Key stats

Stat	Spain	Belgium
Goals	2	1
xG	2.04	0.38
Possession (HT)	63%	37%

Why this matters

• Merino - late winner vs Portugal, late winner vs Belgium. Spain’s clutch king.
• Courtois injury - tears on the pitch, Lammens thrown into a World Cup quarterfinal.
• Belgium - Golden Generation push ends. Unbeaten run of 18 games over.
• Spain face France in the semi-final in Dallas (Arlington) - after France beat Morocco 2-0.
• Yamal, Pedri, Rodri - still rolling.

FAQ

What was Spain vs Belgium score? Spain 2-1 Belgium. Ruiz (30’), De Ketelaere (41’), Merino (89’).

Who scored the winner? Mikel Merino at 89’ - off the bench, rebound.

Is Courtois injured? Yes. Left at 71’ with a leg injury, in tears. Lammens finished the game.

Who does Spain play next? France - World Cup semi-final in Dallas.

In short

• 2-1 Spain - Merino does it again
• Ruiz opened, De Ketelaere equalised
• Courtois out injured - tears
• Belgium unbeaten run ends
• Semi-final: Spain vs France

Portugal. Then Belgium. Merino keeps writing the same ending - and Spain keep walking on.