Spain booked a place in the FIFA World Cup semifinals after edging Belgium 2-1 on Friday, thanks to another decisive contribution from Mikel Merino.
Merino, who also scored the winner against Portugal in the round of 16, struck late at SoFi Stadium after Belgium substitute goalkeeper Senne Lammens failed to hold Pau Cubarsi’s long-range effort.
The loose ball fell kindly for the midfielder, who blasted it into the roof of the net to seal Spain’s victory.
The result sends Spain into the World Cup semifinals for only the second time and extends their unbeaten run to a record 36 matches, leaving them just one game shy of Italy’s all-time mark of 37. They will now face France in Tuesday’s semifinal.
Belgium’s hopes suffered a major setback after first-choice goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois was forced off in the 71st minute with an apparent injury.
His replacement, Lammens, was unable to prevent Merino’s match-winning strike after spilling Cubarsi’s shot.
Spain coach Luis de la Fuente made a notable change to his starting lineup by selecting Fabián Ruiz ahead of Pedri, and the decision paid off midway through the opening half.
The breakthrough came after an impressive move down the right. Lamine Yamal released Pedro Porro, whose cross found Dani Olmo. Although Courtois saved Olmo’s effort, the rebound dropped perfectly for Ruiz to convert from close range.
Yamal’s appearance was his sixth of the tournament, making the Barcelona teenager the player aged 18 or younger with the most World Cup appearances.
Belgium restored parity before halftime when Timothy Castagne delivered an inviting cross that Charles De Ketelaere glanced past Unai Simón with a well-placed header.
The goal ended Spain’s remarkable defensive run, marking the first time Simón had conceded during the tournament and bringing to an end a World Cup scoreless streak of 650 minutes dating back to Ao Tanaka’s goal against Spain in the 2022 group stage.
Spain continued to dominate possession after the restart, but Belgium remained threatening on the counterattack, with Jérémy Doku and Kevin De Bruyne combining dangerously on several occasions.
Belgium’s problems worsened when Courtois was unable to continue after requiring treatment following a clearance. Although he initially appeared ready to resume, he was eventually replaced by Lammens.
The Red Devils had already been dealt an injury blow before kickoff, with captain Youri Tielemans ruled out during the warm-up.
Tielemans had been instrumental in Belgium’s run to the quarterfinals, featuring in every group-stage match and scoring twice in their dramatic 3-2 comeback victory over Senegal in the round of 32.
