​Spain head to the World Cup 2026 quarterfinal clash with Belgium at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles on Friday, buoyed by a hard-fought victory over Portugal and aiming for a semifinal showdown with France. La Roja will be without Yeremi Pino and Nico Williams due to injury, and Víctor Muñoz is listed as a doubt ahead of the decisive tie. Lamine Yamal, whose fitness had been a concern heading into the tournament, is expected to feature after recovering in time for Spain’s opener. The plan is to line up in a 4-2-3-1 formation: Unai Simón in goal; on the backline, Pedro Porro, Martín Cubarsí, Íñigo Laporte, and Marc Cucurella. In midfield, Rodri and Pedri shield the defense, with Yamal, Dani Olmo, and Àlvaro Baena supporting lone striker Mikel Oyarzabal.
Belgium, meanwhile, must cope without Zeno Debast and Amadou Onana, both sidelined, and their approach hinges significantly on the fitness of Kevin De Bruyne, whose club-season injuries have hampered his form. Thibaut Courtois starts in goal. The expected Belgian lineup features, from back to front: Courtois; Thomas Meunier? No, in defense: Castagne, Ngoy, Mechele, and De Cuyper; in midfield, Hans Vanaken and Youri Tielemans; in attack, Leandro Trossard, De Bruyne, and Doku, with Charles De Ketelaere leading the line.
Belgium’s campaign this summer has told two different stories. When De Bruyne is present, the team has struggled to find fluency, delivering cautious, sometimes disjointed performances in the group stage against Iran and Egypt and showing limited attacking rhythm. In contrast, Belgium have looked sharper, more compact, and considerably more dangerous on the break without their captain on the field. Their dramatic comeback against Senegal, sealed by a 125th-minute winner, and their dominant Round of 16 victory over the United States both arrived in games where De Bruyne was not on the pitch. Yet the question remains whether Belgium can, and should, omit him in a World Cup quarterfinal, leaving them oscillating between two versions of themselves.
Spain, by comparison, have been the steadier, more consistently performing side throughout the tournament. As noted by Barca Blaugranes in their preview ahead of Friday’s kickoff, Belgium possess the talent to pose a serious threat, but the analysts still forecast a 2-1 win for La Roja. The match official for this high-stakes quarterfinal is Michael Oliver of England, and SoFi Stadium will host kickoff at 9pm CET. The winner will advance to the World Cup semifinals, where France and Kylian Mbappé await on the other side of the bracket, a prospect that has already generated considerable anticipation across European football.
With the stakes so high, both teams will be keen to translate talent into tangible results on the night. Spain’s blend of young vigor and experienced composure could be enough to edge past a Belgium side at a crossroads, while Belgium will hope that their attacking edge and the question marks around De Bruyne’s status tilt the balance in their favor. The stage is set for a memorable quarterfinal at SoFi Stadium, as fans around the world tune in to see whether La Roja can continue their strong form and book a semifinal date with France, or whether Belgium can recapture the form with De Bruyne in midfield and pull off a late, decisive upset.