Mikel Merino struck in the 88th minute on Friday to send Spain into the World Cup semifinals with a 2-1 victory over Belgium at Los Angeles Stadium.
Already weakened before kick-off, Belgium lost captain Youri Tielemans to a hamstring injury during the warm-up. Amadou Onana was also unavailable after suffering an ACL injury in the previous round. Those setbacks left Rudi Garcia’s side facing one of the tournament favorites without two important midfielders.
Still, the Belgians resisted for 87 minutes. Their shape remained compact, their challenges stayed disciplined, and the score remained level despite sustained Spanish pressure.
Then Merino changed the match.
Pau Cubarsi drove a low shot toward the goal, where substitute goalkeeper Senne Lammens failed to hold the ball after it bounced in front of him. Merino reacted before the surrounding defenders and fired the rebound into the net.
Lammens had replaced Thibaut Courtois in the 71st minute after Belgium’s first-choice goalkeeper suffered a leg muscle problem. His late mistake settled a quarterfinal Spain controlled for long periods, but struggled to finish.
Fabian Ruiz opened the scoring in the 30th minute before Charles De Ketelaere equalized 11 minutes later. After half-time, Spain tightened its grip and finished with 17 shots to Belgium’s five.
Merino Changes Another Knockout Match
Introduced in the 86th minute, Merino needed only two minutes to score.
Luis de la Fuente turned to the Arsenal midfielder as Spain searched for a way through a Belgian defense that had spent most of the second half protecting its penalty area. Rather than waiting for a pass, Merino followed Cubarsi’s shot and positioned himself for a possible rebound.
That movement made the difference. Once Lammens spilled the ball, no defender could recover quickly enough to stop him.
The goal continued Merino’s extraordinary run in major knockout matches. He also came off the bench to score Spain’s 91st-minute winner against Portugal in the round of 16. No player had previously scored the winning goal as a substitute in two separate World Cup knockout matches.
A similar moment arrived at Euro 2024, when Merino came off the bench and scored the decisive quarterfinal goal against Germany.
“There are no such things as coincidences.”
Merino said after the match.
De la Fuente’s selection decisions influenced both Spanish goals. Ruiz replaced Pedri in the starting lineup and justified the decision with the opener. Later, Merino delivered the winner from the bench.
Once again, Spain’s depth proved decisive. Fresh legs mattered, but Merino also supplied the awareness and anticipation required to punish a single mistake.
Belgium Recover After Spain’s Fast Start
From the opening minutes, Spain controlled possession and forced Courtois into several saves. Ruiz finally broke the resistance in the 30th minute after the goalkeeper pushed away an initial effort.
Collecting the loose ball inside the area, Ruiz drove his finish through the legs of Timothy Castagne to give Spain a deserved lead.
Belgium answered in the 41st minute. Castagne sent a cross into the box, and De Ketelaere timed his run before heading past Unai Simón. The goal was the first Spain had conceded during the tournament.
Reaching the half-time level gave Belgium renewed belief. Despite seeing less of the ball, Garcia’s team remained organized and denied Spain a clear route through the middle.
Control returned to Spain after the interval. Rodri dictated the tempo in midfield, while Lamine Yamal repeatedly attacked from the right. The 18-year-old forced Belgium’s defensive line backward, creating space around the edge of the penalty area.
Clear chances remained limited at first. Belgium defended deep and attempted to counter through Kevin De Bruyne, Romelu Lukaku, and Jeremy Doku, but Spain quickly recovered possession whenever an attack broke down.
By full-time, La Roja had held 68 percent possession and restricted Belgium to two shots on target.
Courtois Injury Creates The Decisive Opening
Belgium’s problems deepened when Courtois felt pain while taking a long kick early in the second half. Although he continued briefly and made further saves, Garcia eventually decided not to risk worsening the injury.
Lammens entered in the 71st minute with the match still tied. The substitute initially handled the pressure well as Spain circulated the ball around Belgium’s penalty area.
Everything changed when Cubarsi tried his luck from distance in the 88th minute. The shot bounced just before reaching Lammens, making it difficult to control. Even so, the goalkeeper could only push the ball into Merino’s path.
Spain protected the lead through the closing minutes as Belgium made one final attempt to respond. At the final whistle, Courtois consoled Lammens while several Belgian players remained on the turf.
France now awaits Spain in Tuesday’s semifinal in Dallas. It will be La Roja’s first appearance at this stage since winning the World Cup in 2010. With Merino continuing to decide tight knockout matches, Spain stands two victories away from a second world title.
READ MORE: Referee Michael Oliver Accidentally Flattens Dani Olmo During Spain’s World Cup Quarterfinal Win
FAQs
Q1. Who scored Spain’s winner against Belgium?
A. Mikel Merino scored in the 88th minute. He reacted first after Senne Lammens failed to hold Pau Cubarsi’s shot.
Q2. What was the final score between Spain and Belgium?
A. Spain beat Belgium 2-1 in the World Cup quarterfinal. Fabian Ruiz and Mikel Merino scored for Spain.
Q3. When did Mikel Merino enter the match?
A. Merino entered in the 86th minute. He scored the winning goal only two minutes later.
Q4. Why did Senne Lammens replace Thibaut Courtois?
A. Courtois suffered a leg muscle problem in the second half. Lammens replaced him in the 71st minute.
Q5. Who will Spain face in the World Cup semifinal?
A. Spain will face France in Dallas. The winner will advance to the World Cup final.
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