Mikel Merino. Photo: Getty Images
Spain took control of the game from the opening minutes and, as expected, opened the scoring in the 30th minute. After a shot by Dani Olmo, Belgian goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois managed to parry the ball, but Fabián Ruiz was first to the rebound and sent it into the net.
Belgium responded shortly before halftime. In the 41st minute, Charles de Ketelaere won a header in the penalty area and equalized, ending Spain’s clean sheet streak in this tournament.
After the break, Luis de la Fuente’s team once again took complete control of the game. The 18-year-old Lamine Yamal was particularly active, regularly creating danger in front of the opponent’s goal. However, for a long time, the Spanish team was unable to convert their dominance into a goal.
The decisive moment came four minutes before the end of regulation time. Defender Pau Cubarsi took a long-range shot; substitute goalkeeper Senne Lammens was unable to hold onto the ball, and Mikel Merino was first to the rebound. The midfielder coolly slotted the ball into the net, securing Spain’s spot in the semifinals.
Merrino’s Second Consecutive Heroic Moment
For Merino, this was already his second game-winning goal in the knockout stage of this World Cup. In the Round of 16, it was his precise strike in stoppage time that gave Spain a 1-0 victory over Portugal, and now the midfielder came off the bench once again to decide the outcome of the quarterfinal.
Thus, the Arsenal midfielder became the first player in World Cup history to score winning goals in two consecutive knockout-round matches after coming off the bench.
Spain finished the match with a clear advantage on the field. The team had 17 shots on goal compared to Belgium’s five and controlled the play for most of the second half.
A major blow for Belgium was the injury to starting goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois, who left the field after halftime. A mistake by his replacement, Senne Lammens, in the closing minutes proved decisive.
In the semifinal on July 14, Spain will face France, which defeated Morocco 2–0 the day before. The matchup between these two European powerhouses will be one of the highlights of this World Cup.
