Spain 2-1 Belgium: How Mikel Merino’s Late Winner and a Costly Goalkeeper Error Decided the 2026 World Cup Quarterfinal

Scoring timeline: Three goals, one night

30th minute – Fabián Ruiz (Spain 1–0): The Paris Saint-Germain midfielder opened the scoring, putting La Roja ahead after a dominant opening half-hour .

41st minute – Charles De Ketelaere (1–1): The Belgian forward equalized with a header just before halftime, snapping Spain's remarkable run of four consecutive clean sheets at the tournament . Spain had not conceded a single goal in their group stage or round-of-16 matches .

88th minute – Mikel Merino (Spain 2–1): The Arsenal midfielder, who had entered as a substitute in the 86th minute, scored the winner on his second touch. Merino pounced on a shot that Belgium backup goalkeeper Senne Lammens failed to hold, finishing into the roof of the net .

The turning point: Courtois’s injury and Lammens’s spill

Belgium's star goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois was forced off in the 71st minute after pulling up with what multiple outlets reported as a suspected left thigh injury . Courtois had made four saves before his exit and was visibly emotional as he left the pitch .

He was replaced by backup Senne Lammens, a Manchester United goalkeeper making his first appearance of the tournament. The score was tied 1–1 at the time of the substitution . Lammens held firm for seventeen minutes. Then, in the 88th minute, he could not hold a fierce shot from Pau Cubarsí, spilling the ball directly to Merino for the decisive goal .

Multiple match reports describe Lammens’s spilled save as the decisive turning point of the quarterfinal .

End of Spain’s perfect defensive record

Until De Ketelaere’s 41st-minute equalizer, Spain had not conceded a goal in the entire tournament—a streak of four shutouts spanning the group stage and round of 16 . The goal also ended a broader run: Spain had kept six consecutive clean sheets in World Cup play dating back to the previous tournament, a record for the nation . Manager Luis de la Fuente’s side entered the match with an unbeaten run of 35 games since March 2024 .

What’s next: Semifinal against France

With the victory, Spain advanced to face France in the semifinals on Tuesday, July 14, 2026, at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas. Kickoff is set for 3:00 p.m. ET (8:00 p.m. local time), with the match airing on FOX in English and Telemundo in Spanish in the U.S. .

France reached the semifinal by defeating Morocco 2–0 in the quarterfinals on July 9 . The winner of Spain–France will advance to the 2026 FIFA World Cup final on July 19 at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey .