Spain edge Belgium late to reach first World Cup semifinal since 2010
Spain are back among the World Cup’s last four for the first time in 16 years after a late Mikel Merino header sealed a 2-1 quarterfinal win over Belgium in Los Angeles, setting up a blockbuster semifinal against defending champions France.
Merino delivers another late World Cup moment
According to the detailed live report from The Sporting News, Spain’s 2-1 victory over Belgium was decided in the closing stages when Mikel Merino struck with a decisive late goal at Los Angeles Stadium, pushing La Roja into the semifinals.The Sporting News live report
The match finished Spain 2-1 Belgium, with the final whistle confirming Spain’s place in the last four and ending Belgium’s campaign.The Sporting News live report The Sporting News’ recap notes that Merino’s late intervention echoed his earlier knockout-stage heroics, where he had already delivered a stoppage-time winner against Portugal in the round of 16.The Athletic re-ranking feature
Spain had entered the quarterfinal off a strong run: topping their group with seven points and then thrashing Austria 3-0 in the round of 32 before edging Portugal 1-0 on Merino’s dramatic late strike.YouTube live preview of Belgium vs Spain That foundation set the stage for another tight knockout tie in Los Angeles, where they again found a way to win in the final minutes.
Path now runs through France
With the quarterfinal victory confirmed, Spain’s reward is a World Cup semifinal against France, who had already booked their place with a composed 2-0 win over Morocco in Foxborough.The Sporting News live report
France’s quarterfinal performance was highlighted across multiple outlets: Kylian Mbappé scored and provided an assist, while Ousmane Dembélé added the other goal in a 2-0 win that sent Les Bleus into the last four.Los Angeles Times World Cup recap Heavy.com’s match report likewise confirms the 2-0 scoreline and France’s progression, describing a disciplined display at Boston Stadium to eliminate Morocco.Heavy.com France-Morocco report
The Sporting News explicitly notes that Spain’s win over Belgium sends them into a semifinal meeting with Mbappé and France, who are chasing a third straight World Cup final appearance.The Sporting News live report For Spain, this is their first semifinal since their title-winning run in 2010, and it comes after navigating a bracket that has already claimed major powers like Brazil and Portugal.The Athletic re-ranking feature
Spain’s resurgence, Belgium’s exit
Pre-quarterfinal analysis from The Athletic framed Spain as one of the tournament’s in-form sides, pointing to their defensive solidity and the way they had handled tight knockout games, including the late win over Portugal.The Athletic re-ranking feature That assessment has been reinforced by their ability to grind out another one-goal victory in Los Angeles.
Belgium, meanwhile, bow out after a knockout run that included eliminating the United States in the round of 16, a result that drew attention both for the upset and for its impact on predictive models and pundit forecasts.BBC Sport predictions piece Their quarterfinal exit, however, means the semifinals will be an all-European clash on this side of the bracket, with Spain joining France and leaving Belgium’s hopes again short of the final.
With Merino’s late header, Spain have turned a strong tournament into a genuine title challenge. The next step is their biggest test yet: a semifinal against an experienced France side that has already dispatched four opponents in succession and is aiming to return to the World Cup’s showpiece game once more.Los Angeles Times World Cup recap