What's happened
Spain edges Belgium 2-1 as Mikel Merino scores a stoppage-time winner after Fabian Ruiz and Charles De Ketelaere trade goals. Courtois exits injured; Spain advances to face France in the semifinals.
What's behind the headline?
Key takeaways
- Spain has reached the semi-finals for the second time in its World Cup history, and first since 2010, when they went on to win the tournament.
- The win was sealed by a late strike from Mikel Merino after coming on as a substitute, continuing Spain’s trend of relying on impact substitutes in knockout ties.
- Belgium’s defeat ends a run of strong performances by a team aiming to consolidate its golden generation, with questions about the future of key players like Kevin De Bruyne following the loss.
What this means
- Spain will face France in Dallas for a spot in the final, heightening expectations around their ability to defend the title-like status of European champions.
- The match exposed Belgium’s vulnerability in goalkeeping depth after Courtois’ injury and Lammens’ costly error in goal.
How we got here
Spain has progressed to the World Cup semi-finals by defeating Belgium 2-1. Fabian Ruiz opened the scoring for Spain in the 30th minute, De Ketelaere equalised for Belgium in the 41st, and Merino came off the bench to score the late winner after Courtois’ injury forced a goalkeeping change.
Our analysis
France 24 reports that Fabian Ruiz opened the scoring for Spain in the 30th minute; The Scotsman notes Belgium’s De Ketelaere equaliser in the 41st minute and De Bruyne’s cross for the second goal. SBS confirms Merino’s late winner and Spain’s progression to the semi-finals. Al Jazeera emphasizes Merino’s impact off the bench and the injury to Courtois. France 24 also covers the Morocco-France quarter-final context for the broader tournament narrative.
Go deeper
- Did Spain’s strategy of using Merino as a super-sub pay off again?
- What does Courtois’ injury mean for Belgium’s World Cup outlook?
- Who will Spain and France field in the semi-final in Dallas?
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