Spain vs Belgium

Spain dominated the opening half-hour and deservedly took the lead through Fabian Ruiz in the 30th minute. Pedro Porro's cut-back from the right found Dani Olmo, whose shot was parried by Thibaut Courtois, but Ruiz was first to the rebound and swept it home from close range.

Belgium, though, struck back against the run of play 11 minutes later. Timothy Castagne swung in a cross from the right and Charles De Ketelaere rose highest to plant a header past Unai Simón — the first goal Spain had conceded at the entire World Cup, ending a run of 649 minutes without conceding.

The match remained finely balanced after the break, with Spain enjoying the better of possession and chances. The decisive swing came in the 71st minute when Courtois went down with an apparent thigh injury and was replaced by Manchester United goalkeeper Senne Lammens.

Spain pushed for a winner and found it in the 88th minute. Pau Cubarsi let fly from outside the box; Lammens could only parry the ball into the path of substitute Mikel Merino, who had been on the pitch for just two minutes. Merino, who also scored a 90th-minute winner against Portugal in the round of 16, prodded home from close range to send the Spanish bench into delirium.

Courtois's injury forced Belgium to turn to Lammens with 19 minutes of normal time remaining. The 23-year-old had been solid in his limited minutes but was caught cold when Cubarsi's speculative shot should have been routine. The spill gifted Merino the simplest of finishes — and gave Spain a semi-final berth they had threatened for much of the second half. Until that moment, Belgium had looked capable of forcing extra time.

Mikel Merino (Spain) — Two touches, one goal. The Arsenal midfielder is the first Spanish substitute to score in consecutive World Cup knockout matches. His positioning and composure in the 88th minute decided the tie.

Charles De Ketelaere (Belgium) — The Atalanta forward scored the goal that ended Spain's record clean sheet run and was a persistent threat with his movement in the channels. His glancing header from Castagne's cross was a moment of quality that briefly gave Belgium a foothold.

Rodri (Spain) — The midfield anchor completed more passes than any other player on the pitch and dictated the tempo throughout. His control in central areas prevented Belgium from building sustained attacks.

Thibaut Courtois (Belgium) — Forced off injured in the 71st minute, the Real Madrid goalkeeper had made a sharp save from Dani Olmo moments before Ruiz's opener and kept his side in the contest. His absence was the decisive factor.

Spain's 1.08 xG at half-time compared to Belgium's 0.18 (per Sofascore) told the story of a first half Spain dominated but only led once. The final xG of roughly 1.96 to 1.12 reflects Spain's sustained control — but also the fact that Belgium's only real chances (De Ketelaere's header and a late scramble) carried genuine threat. Spain's 649-minute clean sheet streak ending on a set-piece header was the one statistical surprise: they had been the tournament's best defence by every metric.

Spain advance to face France in the semi-finals on Tuesday, 14 July at the AT&T Stadium in Dallas (kick-off 20:00 BST / 19:00 UTC). It will be a rematch of the 2024 European Championship semi-final, which Spain won 2-1 on their way to the title.

For Belgium, this quarter-final exit likely marks the end of their so-called "Golden Generation" at a World Cup. Kevin De Bruyne (35), Romelu Lukaku (33), Axel Witsel (37) and the injured Courtois (34) may have played their final matches at the tournament. Belgium's third-place finish in 2018 was their best World Cup result, and they have not reached the semi-finals since.

Spain were the better side for longer periods but needed a goalkeeping error to settle a quarterfinal that looked destined for extra time. De la Fuente's side have now won five consecutive World Cup matches — their best run since 2010 — but they will need more incision in the final third against a France side that has been the tournament's most imposing attacking force. Belgium, without their first-choice goalkeeper for the final 19 minutes, pushed a deep Spain side closer than any opponent has managed in this tournament.