Spain vs Belgium —World Cup: Live score and match stats

80' | SURPRISE CHANGE! Nico Williams Comes On

Spain is completely camping out in Belgium's defensive third as we head into the final ten minutes of regular time, suffocating the Red Devils.

Luis de la Fuente throws another roll of the dice with a highly surprising tactical move: Mikel Oyarzabal is withdrawn, and the explosive Nico Williams is introduced! Taking off a central presence for raw, direct wing-pace shows Spain wants to stretch this tired Belgian low-block and win it before extra time!

77' | OPPORTUNITY WASTED! Yamal Magic

An absolute piece of artistry from Lamine Yamal, who executes a deliciously neat backheel to release the overlapping Pedro Porro! But what is the full-back thinking? Instead of crossing first-time into a dangerous area, the Tottenham man hesitates and delays.

72' | DISASTER FOR BELGIUM! Courtois Forced Off

Heartbreak for Belgium and an absolute hammer blow to their tournament hopes! Thibaut Courtois tried his absolute best to push through the pain barrier after that earlier stoppage, but he simply cannot continue.

The Real Madrid shot-stopper is visibly distraught and in tears on the bench as he is replaced by the uncapped Senne Lammens.

66' | TIMEOUT! Courtois Down & Hydration Break

Thibaut Courtois goes down at the edge of his box, holding up play. There is absolutely zero movement on the Belgian bench to get backup keeper Senne Lammens warmed up, suggesting this might be a clever bit of gamesmanship from the veteran to slow the game down.

65' | BY THE NUMBERS! Spain Dominates the Ball

The scoreboard might say 1-1, but the stat sheet tells a completely different story. Spain has completed over 400 passes compared to Belgium's meager 189. Yet, despite that overwhelming metric, La Roja looks far from secure—Belgium's lethal transitions mean this match still feels completely up for grabs!

61' | SAVED! Yamal Stung by Courtois

Lamine Yamal cuts inside onto his favorite left foot and unleashes a fierce, curling effort from well outside the penalty area. It's traveling with real venom, but Thibaut Courtois reads it beautifully, shifting across his line to make a spectacular save and deny the teenager!

61' | SAVED! Yamal Stung by Courtois

Lamine Yamal cuts inside onto his favorite left foot and unleashes a fierce, curling effort from well outside the penalty area. It's traveling with real venom, but Thibaut Courtois reads it beautifully, shifting across his line to make a spectacular save and deny the teenager!

55' | TACTICAL SWITCH! Pedri Enters the Fray

Spain makes their first move of the match! The goalscorer Fabián Ruiz is called off the pitch, replaced by the maestro Pedri. La Roja's boss is clearly looking for injection of fresh energy and elite ball retention to unlock this stubborn Belgian midfield.

50' | STOPPAGE! Free Kick Spain

An early blemish in the second half for Belgium as Nicolas Raskin commits a clumsy foul right in the center of the pitch. He goes in heavily, leaving a Spanish player on the turf, and the referee spots it instantly. With the score locked at 1-1, La Roja will gladly take the free-kick to regain their composure, control possession, and look to orchestrate another wave of attack.

48' | OFFSIDE! Belgium Inches Away

A rare, shocking lapse in concentration from Spain in possession gifts Belgium an absolute golden opportunity! Leandro Trossard is nearly slipped clean through on goal by a quick-thinking teammate, but the linesman's flag goes straight up to cut the celebrations short. A massive warning sign for La Roja!

HT' | HALF TIME! Spain 1-1 Belgium

The referee blows his whistle to bring an absolutely breathless first half to a close! It has been an absorbing tactical and physical battle in this quarter-final. Fabián Ruiz fired La Roja ahead after some relentless pressure, but Charles De Ketelaere struck back with a historic equalizer—the first goal Spain has conceded all tournament. A fiery end to the half leaves this match on a knife-edge.

45' | EXTRA TIME! Five Minutes Added

The fourth official raises the board, and there will be five more minutes of high-octane drama before the halftime whistle! Plenty of time left in this chaotic first half for either side to snatch the lead.

43' | BOOKED! Cubarsí Sees Yellow

Spain is completely rattled! Pau Cubarsí loses his footing in a challenge with Charles De Ketelaere, and in a moment of pure panic, he reaches out and literally pulls Kevin De Bruyne's shorts to stop him from launching a devastating counter-attack. A blatant cynical foul, and the referee wastes no time flashing the yellow card!


41' | GOAL! Spain 1-1 Belgium (De Ketelaere)

WE ARE LEVEL! Spain's armor is finally pierced! Charles De Ketelaere strikes a massive blow, finding the back of the net to stun La Roja. Unbelievably, that is the very first goal Spain has conceded in this entire World Cup tournament! Game on!

40' | SO CLOSE! Yamal Flashes Wide

Spain comes agonizingly close to restoring their lead! Lamine Yamal cuts inside from the right flank and lets fly with a trademark left-footed curler. It looks destined for the far corner, but the ball flashes just wide of the post! Relentless pressure from La Roja here, but Belgium survives by the skin of their teeth.

35' | ALMOST A SECOND! Yamal Denied

Lamine Yamal steps up to take the resulting free-kick and goes for a clever, low, fizzing effort. Thibaut Courtois reacts well, getting two strong hands to the ball, but he can only parry it back into the danger area! A frantic scramble follows, but fortunately for Belgium, no one in a red shirt can follow it up to apply the finishing touch.

30' | GOAL! Spain 1-0 Belgium (Ruiz)

BREAKTHROUGH! Pedro Porro does brilliantly to escape Jérémy Doku down the flank and cuts a dangerous, low ball back into the middle for Dani Olmo. Olmo unleashes a sharp strike that Thibaut Courtois parries away, but it breaks straight into the path of Fabián Ruiz, who gleefully taps it home! A massive hill to climb now for Belgium against this resolute Spanish defense.

23' | TIMEOUT! Hydration Break

The referee blows the whistle and signals to the touchline—you know exactly what time it is. The players head over to the dugouts to grab some water and catch their breath after an incredibly intense, high-tempo opening quarter of an hour. Coaches take full advantage to bark out some quick tactical adjustments.

22' | STOPPAGE! Free Kick Spain

Ngoy gets far too tight and commits a clumsy foul, hacking down Mikel Oyarzabal as he tries to turn. A clever piece of play from the Spanish forward to win the free-kick and disrupt Belgium's rhythm.

18' | BREATH OF FRESH AIR! Spain Escapes

Just as Belgium cranks up the pressure, Spain wins a crucial relief valve of a free-kick deep in their own half. Pedro Porro is brought down under a heavy challenge while trying to clear the danger, and the referee's whistle lets La Roja breathe a massive sigh of relief. A physical, high-octane battle in the midfield!

15' | CLOSE! Belgium Denied

A devastating counter-attack from Belgium! Jérémy Doku turns on the style, carving out a brilliant pass to find Charles De Ketelaere on the right side of the box. De Ketelaere pulls the trigger with his left foot—it's tracking for the back of the net—but a Spanish defender throws himself into a desperate, last-ditch block to save the day! A blistering start to this quarter-final clash.

10' | CHANCE! Spain Pressures

Lamine Yamal showcases his danger by drifting over to the left and drawing a clever free-kick. The delivery itself is poor, but a hesitant Belgium fails to clear their lines. The ball breaks to Rodri in a brilliant position inside the 18-yard box, but Ngoy reacts instantly to throw himself in the way and make a massive block!

1' | BRIGHT START! Belgium Threatens

Castagne ignites things immediately with a galvanizing, high-energy burst down the right flank. He stretches every sinew to keep the play alive, but the ball just skitters behind for a goal kick. Positive signs early on for the Red Devils.

Heavyweight quarter-final in Los Angeles: Spain and Belgium lock In lineups

The stakes have reached an absolute premium at the Los Angeles Stadium in California as European giants Spain and Belgium collide in a blockbuster FIFA World Cup 2026 quarter-final showdown. With a coveted spot in the semi-finals on the line, both managers have deployed balanced 4-2-3-1 formations. The tactical setups point to an explosive tactical battle, pinning Spain's historic defensive record against a resurgent, high-scoring Belgian squad.

Spain manager Luis de la Fuente has made a highly discussed modification to his midfield engine room, choosing to rest Pedri on the bench to introduce the physical presence of Fabián Ruiz alongside tournament anchor Rodri. Unai Simón retains his place in goal, actively protecting a record-breaking 609-minute World Cup shutout streak. He is shielded by an imposing backline consisting of Aymeric Laporte and teenage defensive prodigy Pau Cubarsí, while Marc Cucurella and Pedro Porro handle fullback responsibilities. Up front, the creative triumvirate features Dani Olmo as the central playmaker, flanked by Álex Baena and generational talent Lamine Yamal on the wing. Mikel Oyarzabal gets the nod to spearhead the attack as the lone forward. De la Fuente carries immense tactical depth to look to in the later stages, keeping Nico Williams, Gavi, and Pedri in reserve.

Belgium manager Rudi Garcia has re-engineered his lineup following a brutal injury blow to midfielder Amadou Onana, who suffered a ruptured ACL in the previous round against the United States. In response, Garcia has recalled iconic playmaker Kevin De Bruyne to pull the strings out of a deeper midfield deployment alongside Nicolas Raskin and Youri Tielemans. Thibaut Courtois lines up in goal behind a defensive structure marshaled by Brandon Mechele and Nathan Ngoy, with Timothy Castagne and Maxim De Cuyper structural pillars on the wings. Speed and transitional menace define the final third, as Jeremy Doku is drafted back into the starting eleven to partner Leandro Trossard on the flanks. Charles De Ketelaere receives the responsibility to lead the attack as a fluid central striker, leaving seasoned World Cup goalscorer Romelu Lukaku and winger Dodi Lukébakio as lethal game-changing options from the dugout.

Spain National Football Team
Starting Line-up
23 Unai Simón (GK), 12 Pedro Porro (D), 22 Pau Cubarsí (D), 14 Aymeric Laporte (D), 24 M. Cucurella (D), 8 Fabián Ruiz (M), 16 Rodri (M), 10 Dani Olmo (M), 15 Álex Baena (M), 19 Lamine Yamal (M), 21 Mikel Oyarzabal (A)

Substitutions
1 David Raya, 2 Marc Pubill, 3 Alejandro Grimaldo, 4 Eric García, 5 Marcos Llorente, 6 Mikel Merino, 7 Ferran Torres, 9 Gavi, 11 Yéremy Pino, 13 Joan García, 17 Nico Williams, 18 Martín Zubimendi, 20 Pedri, 25 Víctor Muñoz, 26 Borja Iglesias

Manager
Luis de la Fuente Castillo

Belgium National Football Team
Starting Line-up
1 Thibaut Courtois (GK), 21 Timothy Castagne (D), 25 Nathan Ngoy (D), 4 Brandon Mechele (D), 5 Maxim De Cuyper (D), 23 Nicolas Raskin (M), 20 Hans Vanaken (M), 7 Kevin De Bruyne (M), 11 Jérémy Doku (M), 10 Leandro Trossard (M), 17 Charles De Ketelaere (A)

Substitutions
3 Arthur Theate, 6 Axel Witsel, 9 Romelu Lukaku, 12 Senne Lammens, 13 Mike Penders, 14 Dodi Lukébakio, 15 Thomas Meunier, 16 Koni De Winter, 18 Joaquin Seys, 19 Diego Moreira, 22 Alexis Saelemaekers, 26 Matias Fernandez-Pardo

Manager
Rudi José Garcia