CALIFORNIA (United States) — Spain will go toe-to-toe with their European rivals Belgium in the 2026 FIFA World Cup quarter-final match scheduled for Friday at SoFi Stadium (Los Angeles Stadium) in Inglewood, California, USA.
Spain will enter this encounter in strong form after progressing from their group unbeaten and thrashing Austria 3-0 in the Round of 32 before securing a dramatic 1-0 victory over Portugal in the Round of 16 on Monday thanks to a stoppage-time winner from Mikel Merino.
La Roja have displayed tactical discipline, attacking flair, and defensive solidity throughout the tournament so far and they will need to maintain that level to overcome Belgium and advance to the semi-finals, looking to claim a second World Cup title after their triumph in 2010.
Belgium, meanwhile, also remain unbeaten, having topped their group and edged out Senegal 3-2 in the Round of 32 before cruising to a 4-1 victory over the United States of America (USA) in the Round of 16 on Monday.
The Red Devils will bring their physical, organised and dangerous style as they target a place in the semi-finals, aiming to match or surpass their historic best performance of reaching the last four and finishing third in the 2018 tournament in Russia.
Spain’s key players, including goalkeeper Unai Simon, who is yet to concede in the ongoing tournament, star striker Mikel Oyarzabal, Rodri and Lamine Yamal, are fully fit and available,
However, Yeremy Pino and Nico Williams missed the Round of 16 match due to prior group-stage injuries but could be in contention, AFP reported.
Belgium, on the other hand, saw key stars Kevin De Bruyne and Jérémy Doku tactically benched in the Round of 16, while Zeno Debast missed the match due to a lingering injury.
The biggest blow came when midfielder Amadou Onana suffered a tournament-ending ACL injury, but Axel Witsel is a capable replacement for the Aston Villa star.
The winner between Spain and Belgium will face the winner of the France against Morocco quarterfinal on July 14.
What was said?
Spain Head Coach Luis de la Fuente
“At this stage, it doesn’t matter to us who we face; we’re happy to be in the quarter-finals and will give it our all until the very end. We have the qualities to make our opponents view us as the team to beat,” De la Fuente said.
“I understand that Barca (FC Barcelona) fans worry about [Lamine Yamal]. My responsibility is to put out the best possible line-up, the best possible team… He’s a better footballer than he was two years ago, but not as good as he’ll be in two years. His contribution grows every day. He draws attention, he has magic.”
Belgium Goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois
“Spain is the favourite, of course. They are excellent in possession, and when they lose the ball, they press quickly. That’s where the key lies: knowing how to quickly exploit the space behind their defence,” Courtois said.
“Everyone on our team realises it’s possible… Eliminating the European champions would obviously be a huge upset. The confidence is there.”
Players to watch
Mikel Oyarzabal, Spain: The 29-year-old striker has scored four goals in this tournament including a brace against Austria in the knockout phase. Oyarzabal’s clinical finishing and intelligent movement make him the perfect player to exploit gaps in Belgium’s defence and lead Spain to a crucial quarterfinal victory.
Romelu Lukaku, Belgium: The strongly-built striker has hit form, scoring in each of his last three matches and also grabbing one assist in this tournament. Lukaku’s physical presence, clinical finishing, and ability to occupy defenders make him the perfect player to trouble Spain’s backline and lead Belgium to a crucial quarterfinal victory.
Head-To-Head
The two teams have met 22 times in all competitions, with Spain winning 12, Belgium five and five draws.
Their last meeting was a friendly in September 2016, which Spain won comfortably, 2-0.
In their last World Cup meeting during the 1990 group stage, Spain defeated Belgium 2-1.
