Spain and Belgium meet in Los Angeles on Friday for the second World Cup 2026 quarter-final, with a place in the last four on the line at SoFi Stadium
Spain and Belgium meet in Los Angeles on Friday for the second World Cup 2026 quarter-final, with a place in the last four on the line at SoFi Stadium.
Spain topped Group H and strolled past Austria in the first knockout round, before facing a tense last-16 tie against Portugal, which they won courtesy of a late Mikel Merino goal.
Luis de la Fuente’s side remain unbeaten at the tournament and have not conceded a single goal so far, a defensive record bolstered by goalkeeper Unai Simón, who has set a new tournament record for minutes without conceding.
Belgium arrive in red-hot form after their own last-16 statement. Coached by Rudi Garcia, the Red Devils carry an 18-match unbeaten run across all competitions and thrashed the United States 4-1 in Seattle in the round of 16, with Charles De Ketelaere scoring twice.
However, Belgium’s midfield took a hit on Monday when Amadou Onana suffered an ACL injury, leaving Youri Tielemans and possibly Hans Vanaken or Nicolas Raskin to fill the void.
Kevin De Bruyne, who was substituted in each of Belgium’s first four matches at the tournament, could return to the starting XI for the quarter-final.
Spain’s approach is expected to centre on control and patience.
Rodri will anchor the midfield, flanked by Pedri and Dani Olmo, aiming to restrict Belgium’s supply lines and feed in-form forward Mikel Oyarzabal, who leads the Spanish attack with four tournament goals.
Belgium, in turn, will look to hurt Spain on the counter, banking on the direct threat of De Bruyne, Romelu Lukaku, and Jérémy Doku to trouble a high defensive line.
Historically, the sides have met twice at the World Cup, with the 1986 quarterfinal in Mexico ending in a 1-1 draw before Belgium advanced on penalties, and Spain winning the most recent encounter 2-1 in the 1990 group stage.
With both teams unbeaten this summer, Friday’s clash promises to be one of the standout ties of the round, with the winner setting up a mouth-watering semi-final against France or Morocco.
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