LOS ANGELES: Mikel Merino proved to be Spain’s savior once again as his 88th-minute strike secured a hard-fought 2-1 victory over Belgium at a packed SoFi Stadium. With this thrilling win, La Roja has booked a blockbuster semifinal clash against Kylian Mbappe’s France in Arlington, Texas, next Tuesday.
Spain opened the scoring in the 30th minute through a fine strike from Fabian Ruiz. However, a resilient Belgian side fought back, with Charles De Ketelaere netting an equalizer in the 41st minute—marking the first goal Spain has conceded in the entire tournament.
The match seemed destined for extra time until the 88th minute when Pau Cubarsi unleashed a powerful 25-yard shot. Belgium’s substitute goalkeeper Senne Lammens—who replaced the injured Thibaut Courtois—failed to cleanly hold the ball, allowing an alert Mikel Merino to poke home the rebound. Spain’s teenage sensation Lamine Yamal was named Player of the Match for his stellar performance on the wings.
Meanwhile, France comfortably advanced to the semi-finals on Thursday with a 2-0 victory over Morocco, courtesy of goals from Kylian Mbappe (his 20th career World Cup goal) and Ousmane Dembele. The remaining spot in the semi-finals will be decided on Saturday as Erling Haaland’s Norway takes on Harry Kane’s England in Miami.
