LOS ANGELES – Spain booked their place in the FIFA World Cup 2026 semi-finals with a dramatic 2-1 victory over Belgium in the second quarter-final played at Los Angeles Stadium.
The former world champions made a bright start and were rewarded in the 30th minute when Fabian Ruiz found the net to hand Spain the lead.
Belgium responded strongly before halftime, with Charles De Ketelaere equalising in the 41st minute. The goal marked the first Spain had conceded during the tournament.
With extra time looming, Spain produced the decisive breakthrough late in the match. Substitute Mikel Merino struck in the 88th minute to restore Spain’s advantage and secure a memorable victory.
Belgium were unable to find another equaliser in the closing moments, allowing Spain to advance to the last four with a 2-1 win.
Spain will now face France, who had already secured their semi-final berth after winning their own quarter-final, setting up one of the tournament’s biggest clashes.
A day earlier, France became the first team to qualify for the FIFA World Cup 2026 semi-finals after defeating Morocco 2-0 in the opening quarter-final at Boston Stadium.
Led by captain Kylian Mbappé, France controlled much of the match and produced a strong attacking display. The French side created several chances from the start, putting pressure on the Moroccan defence throughout the game.
France were awarded a penalty in the first half after Mbappé was brought down inside the box, but the forward’s effort was saved by the Moroccan goalkeeper. Despite their dominance and repeated attacks, both teams went into the break level at 0-0.
The second half saw France continue their attacking approach, and their persistence paid off in the 60th minute when Mbappé scored to give his team the lead. Six minutes later, Ousmane Dembélé doubled France’s advantage with a well-finished goal, putting the defending champions in a comfortable position.
Morocco attempted to fight back and had opportunities late in the match. A free-kick in the 82nd minute was dealt with successfully by the French goalkeeper, while another Moroccan attacking chance also went unfinished.
France eventually secured a 2-0 victory and reached the World Cup semi-finals for the third consecutive tournament.
With his goal against Morocco, Mbappé’s tally at the 2026 World Cup reached eight goals. He became the first player in FIFA World Cup history to score eight goals in two different editions of the tournament.
The French captain had previously scored eight goals during the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar, adding another historic achievement to his career.
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