spain beat Belgium into World Cup sent in to semifinals
Merino scored in the 88th minute as Spain beat Belgium 2-1, setting up a FIFA World Cup semifinal against France.
- Merino scored Spain’s winner in the 88th minute after coming on late.
- He also scored Spain’s decisive late goal against Portugal four days earlier.
- Spain won 2-1 and advanced to the semifinals for the first time since 2010.
- France will be Spain’s semifinal opponent in Arlington, Texas.
- Belgium equalized through Charles De Ketelaere after Fabián Ruiz opened the scoring.
- Belgium lost goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois to injury, forcing in backup Senne Lammens.
- Merino’s form has made him Spain’s standout super-sub in this tournament.
Mikel Merino has become Spain’s unlikely but unforgettable World Cup savior, and on Friday in Inglewood he proved that some players simply seem to find the right moment twice. Just four days after his late winner against Portugal, the midfielder struck again in the 88th minute to push Spain past Belgium 2-1 and into a semifinal against France.
What made the goal so dramatic was not just the timing, but the way it unfolded. Merino had only just come on in the 86th minute, yet he stayed alive to a loose ball after Belgium’s backup goalkeeper, Senne Lammens, spilled Pau Cubarsí’s long-range effort. Merino reacted instantly, charging into the box and finishing on his second touch of the match. It was the kind of sharp, instinctive play that rewards players who never stop believing they will get one more chance.
Merino himself seemed almost amused by the pattern. Smiling after the match, he admitted he was finding it hard to explain how he had done it again so soon. “If you’re ready and you try, I guess it can happen for you,” he said, sounding more grateful than boastful. For Spain, that attitude has been priceless. He is not the flashiest name in the squad, but he has quietly turned into the player who changes matches when the pressure is highest.
Spain had taken the lead through Fabián Ruiz in the 30th minute, finishing off a rebound after Belgium were forced to chase the game. But Belgium responded before the break through Charles De Ketelaere, whose goal handed Spain their first concession of the tournament. Spain looked more polished, but Belgium remained stubborn and dangerous enough to make the closing minutes feel tense and uncertain.
The match carried extra weight because Spain had not reached the semifinals since winning the World Cup in 2010. This was the kind of stage the team had been building toward, and now it gets the heavyweight test everyone expected: France on Tuesday in Arlington, Texas. Both teams are still unbeaten, and both arrive with the confidence of sides that believe they belong at the very top. Spain coach Luis De La Fuente called it a clash of giants, and that feels exactly right.
Belgium, meanwhile, had to absorb a painful shift of its own. Starter Thibaut Courtois was forced off after feeling discomfort in the second half, and Lammens stepped in for his first World Cup appearance. Courtois, who has played more World Cup matches than all but Manuel Neuer, left in visible distress, a scene that captured the emotional cost of knockout football. Belgium had competed well enough, but not well enough to survive a moment of uncertainty at the back.