​Spain have reached the World Cup semi-finals after a 2-1 victory over Belgium in Los Angeles, extending their unbeaten run under manager Luis de la Fuente to 26 games. The win keeps alive Spain’s impressive progress as they move closer to a first World Cup title since the Spain of 2010. Late substitutions at both ends added drama to the match, with the 2010 champions continuing to press forward in search of more goals.
Belgium, who had already been hit by Amadou Onana’s tournament-ending injury in the Round of 16, faced another blow during warmups when captain Youri Tielemans picked up a late injury that ruled him out of the game. The setback compounded Belgium’s difficulties as they prepared to face an in-form Spain, who had the better of the early exchanges.
As expected, Spain dominated the proceedings, with Lamine Yamal finally showing the sharpness and maturity that fans have been waiting for. La Roja broke the deadlock when Fabian Ruiz ended a nearly two-year drought for the national team after Thibaut Courtois initially parried a shot from Dani Olmo, the former RB Leipzig midfielder. Spain had looked in control, yet Belgium responded with a sucker punch just before the half-time break. Charles de Ketelaere, the AC Milan attacker, struck his third goal of the tournament by beating Pau Cubarsí in an aerial duel to level proceedings.
Yamal and the Spain attack continued to look dangerous, but Belgium, under coach Ronald Koeman’s successor, managed to cling on until near the end. The decisive moment came in the 88th minute when Mikel Merino, who had previously delivered a memorable winner against Portugal, struck again as a supersub. Merino pounced after Senne Lammens, who was making his World Cup debut following Courtois’s injury setback, failed to deal with Cubarrí’s long-range effort. The loose ball fell favorably for Merino, allowing him to convert and claim the winner.
Spain’s defense wobbled briefly in injury time, with Unai Simón making a few tense stops, but the goalkeeper and the backline held firm to seal a semi-final berth for the second time in the country’s World Cup history. The match also provided a notable personal moment for Lamine Yamal, who delivered another standout performance and earned the “Superior Player of the Match” award for his continued influence despite his youth.
Looking ahead, Spain will face France in the first semi-final on Tuesday, a day after Yamal’s 19th birthday. The Barcelona prodigy has already captured individual accolades, but his performance in this tournament suggests there is still room for him to grow into one of football’s defining talents. Spain’s march to the semi-finals builds on their Euro 2024 final run and last year’s Nations League semi-final successes, underscoring their status as one of the form teams heading into the knockout stages. The clash with France sets up a dramatic continental showdown, with France and their stars, including Michael Olise, favored by many to progress, while Spain hope to continue their run of auspicious results on the world stage.