Spain 2–1 Belgium — World Cup 2026 QF Report

10 July 2026 · SoFi Stadium, Los Angeles · Quarter-Final

Match Report

Spain rode the brilliance of Lamine Yamal to book their place in the World Cup semi-finals, surviving a Belgium fightback in Los Angeles to win 2-1 in a match that had the SoFi Stadium crowd on its feet for the final 35 minutes.

Yamal opened the scoring on 28 minutes with a goal that was pure instinct — receiving the ball on the right channel, cutting onto his left foot and bending a shot into the far corner that the Belgium goalkeeper had no chance of reaching. It was his fifth goal of the tournament and a reminder, once again, that this 18-year-old exists in a category of his own.

Belgium levelled through Charles De Ketelaere on 55 minutes, capitalising on a rare lapse in Spain's defensive structure when a corner was poorly defended. The equaliser gave Belgium belief and for 15 minutes they pushed for a second, forcing a superb save from Unai Simón.

Spain reasserted control through Álvaro Morata, who turned in a Pedri cross on 71 minutes to restore the lead. From that point, Spain managed the game with the composure of reigning European champions. They are into the semi-finals, where they will face France in what promises to be the match of the tournament.