11/07/2026 03:19 - Deportes
The Spanish national team demonstrated their resilience once again, qualifying among the four best teams on the planet.
The match, played on July 10, 2026, at a stadium in Los Angeles as part of the FIFA World Cup, was fiercely contested. For those unfamiliar with the tournament, the World Cup is the pinnacle of international soccer, held every four years. Spain opened the scoring at the 30-minute mark of the first half thanks to a great offensive play finished by Fabián Ruíz, bringing peace of mind to 'La Roja' (The Red One, the nickname for the Spanish team) during a phase where they controlled possession.
However, the lead was short-lived. At 41 minutes, Charles De Ketelaere connected with a header inside the box and beat the Spanish goalkeeper, making it 1-1. This was the first goal conceded by Unai Simón in the championship, ending his impressive 'clean sheet' (a term used when a goalkeeper doesn't concede any goals) streak of 650 minutes.
In the second half, Belgium set up defensively and relied on counter-attacks, keeping the suspense alive until the very end. When the draw seemed to condemn the match to extra time, the crucial play arrived. At 43 minutes of the second half (the 87th minute overall), the Belgian goalkeeper Senne Lammens left a short rebound that Mikel Merino took advantage of. Merino had just come on for Dani Olmo and needed only 115 seconds to push the ball in and unleash Spanish euphoria.
The Belgian national team suffered setbacks that notably hindered them. Youri Tielemans was injured during the pre-match warmup. Later, they suffered the loss of Thibaut Courtois, who left the pitch in tears due to a muscular injury. His replacement, Lammens, had a less-than-ideal response on the play that defined the match.
With this triumph, Spain sealed their qualification among the top four of the 2026 World Cup and will now seek a place in the final when they face France, in a true modern European football classic. The duel is scheduled for July 14, a day that commemorates the anniversary of the French Revolution (Bastille Day), adding an extra layer of symbolism for the French squad.
This will be a rematch of the Euro 2024 semifinals, where Spain also prevailed. On that occasion, the French team took the lead with a goal from Kolo Muani, but Lamine Yamal and Dani Olmo gave the victory to the Spanish team in Munich.
Alfredo S. Quiroga
