Spain Advances to FIFA World Cup 2026 Semifinals with Victory Over Belgium
Spain's Coach Lauds Team Spirit After Quarterfinal Win
Luis de la Fuente, the head coach of Spain, expressed his admiration for the team's resolve and dedication following their 2-1 victory against Belgium, which secured their spot in the semifinals of the FIFA World Cup 2026. In his post-match comments, he emphasized the character and ambition displayed by his players throughout the tournament.
Looking Ahead to the Semifinal Against France
Spain is set to clash with France in a highly anticipated semifinal match. De la Fuente is optimistic about his team's chances, stating, "We believe we can defeat France. We will put in the effort to achieve this. We are the only team to have beaten them twice before. It's a matchup of two great teams."
Match Highlights and Key Events
In the quarterfinal match, Fabian Ruiz was surprisingly chosen to start over Pedri, and Mikel Merino, who came off the bench, scored for Spain. Belgium's Charles De Ketelaere also found the net. Ruiz opened the scoring after Belgian goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois deflected a shot from Dani Olmo, allowing Ruiz to capitalize on the rebound. Lamine Yamal's energetic performance earned him the Player of the Match title.
Significant Moments and Records
Belgium equalized just before halftime when Kevin De Bruyne assisted Timothy Castagne, whose cross was expertly headed in by De Ketelaere, marking the end of Spain goalkeeper Unai Simon's impressive streak of 560 consecutive World Cup minutes without conceding a goal, surpassing the previous record of 517 minutes held by Italy's Walter Zenga since 1990.
A major 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 a long-range shot from Pau Cubarsi, allowing Merino, who had just entered the game, to score the decisive goal.
Spain Approaches World Record
With this victory, Spain has extended their unbeaten streak to 36 matches since their last loss to Colombia, matching Argentina's unbeaten run from 2019 to 2022. They are now just one match away from equaling Italy's world record of 37 consecutive matches without defeat.