Spain Advances to FIFA World Cup 2026 Semifinals After Thrilling Victory

Spain's national football team has advanced to the semifinals of the FIFA World Cup 2026 after a thrilling 2-1 victory against Belgium. Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez celebrated the team's success, highlighting their unbeaten streak that now matches Argentina's record. The match featured key performances, including goals from Fabian Ruiz and Mikel Merino, and a significant injury to Belgium's goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois. As Spain prepares to face France in the semifinals, the excitement builds for their quest for another World Cup title.

By Narendra Chaudhary Jul 11, 2026, 03:56 IST

Prime Minister Sanchez Celebrates Spain's Victory

Pedro Sanchez, the Prime Minister of Spain, expressed his congratulations to the national football team following their exhilarating 2-1 win over Belgium, which secured their spot in the semifinals of the FIFA World Cup 2026. After the match, Sanchez shared his excitement on X, stating, "Continuing to dream together. Come on, Spain!"

Match Highlights

In a surprising move, Fabian Ruiz was given a starting position over Pedri, and Mikel Merino, who came off the bench, scored for Spain. Belgium's Charles De Ketelaere managed to score as well, making for an intense match that saw goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois exit due to injury. Ruiz capitalized on a rebound after Courtois deflected Dani Olmo's shot, putting Spain ahead.

Belgium equalized just before halftime when Kevin De Bruyne set up Timothy Castagne, whose accurate cross was headed in by De Ketelaere, keeping him onside. This goal ended Spain's goalkeeper Unai Simon's impressive streak of 560 minutes without conceding a goal in World Cup play, breaking the previous record of 517 minutes held by Italy's Walter Zenga since 1990.

A significant blow for Belgium occurred in the 71st minute when Courtois had to leave the field due to injury, replaced by Senne Lammens. Shortly after, Lammens was unable to secure Pau Cubarsi's long-range shot, allowing Merino, who had just entered the game, to score the decisive goal.

Spain Matches Unbeaten Streak

This victory marked Spain's 36th consecutive match without a loss, matching Argentina's unbeaten streak from 2019 to 2022, and placing them just one game shy of Italy's world-record unbeaten run of 37 matches. Spain is now set to face France in a highly anticipated semifinal as they pursue another FIFA World Cup title.