Spain and Belgium meet in the second quarterfinal of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, set for Friday evening at Los Angeles Stadium, better known outside the tournament as SoFi Stadium.
La Roja needed a stoppage time header from Mikel Merino to see off Iberian rivals Portugal in the round of sixteen, a result that also closed the book on Cristiano Ronaldo’s international career after six World Cups. Belgium arrive having ended the co-hosts’ run, beating the United States 4-1 in a match overshadowed by a disputed red card decision involving USA forward Folarin Balogun. Both sides now head to the City of Angels for the right to reach the semifinals.
A Rivalry Still Level After Four Decades
Spain and Belgium have met 23 times in total, with La Roja winning 12, Belgium taking six, and five games ending level. Spain holds the edge on goals too, scoring 50 to Belgium’s 27 across those meetings. The World Cup history between the two carries its own weight. In 1986, the sides drew 1-1 through extra time in the quarterfinal before Belgium won the penalty shootout 5-4 to advance. Four years later, Spain flipped the script, beating Belgium 2-1 in the 1990 group stage. Whoever wins Friday finally breaks that historical tie.
Mikel Oyarzabal Has Become Spain’s Quiet Weapon
Few expected Oyarzabal to be one of Spain’s most dangerous attackers heading into this World Cup. Five appearances, four goals, one assist, and zero cards later, he has forced his way into that conversation. His form gives Luis de la Fuente’s side another route to goal beyond the obvious talents of Lamine Yamal, and Belgium will need an answer for him on Friday.
De Ketelaere Has Pushed Lukaku to the Bench
Romelu Lukaku remains Belgium’s all time leading scorer and still finds the net off the bench, having scored his eighth career World Cup goal in the win over the USA. Yet it is Charles De Ketelaere who has claimed a starting role under Rudi Garcia, rewarding that trust with two well taken goals against the Americans in four appearances so far. His selfless movement has been central to Belgium’s attack, and he will look to extend that form against a Spanish defense that has yet to concede at this tournament.
The Numbers Behind the Matchup
Spain remain the only team at this World Cup without a goal conceded, backing up five straight clean sheets. Belgium counter with an expected goals figure of 10.5, a number bettered only by Brazil and France, reflecting a side that has created chances even through a rocky group stage that included a two goal comeback win over Senegal in the round of thirty two. Spain average 598 accurate passes per match, second only to Argentina’s 629, evidence of the control based approach De la Fuente has built his squad around. Belgium average six accurate crosses per match, trailing only Canada and Uruguay, a sign of how often Garcia’s team looks to attack from wide areas.
Control Versus Transition
De la Fuente’s Spain sets up in a 4-3-3 built on possession, pressing, and constant rotation, with Rodri screening the defense and wide players like Yamal stretching opponents horizontally. That defensive record, five clean sheets running, lets Spain push numbers forward without much fear of being caught out. Garcia’s Belgium takes a more flexible shape, switching between a 4-2-3-1 and a 3-4-2-1 depending on the opponent, and looks to hurt teams on the counter through Leandro Trossard and De Ketelaere.
The tactical question comes down to which team imposes its identity first. If Spain break down Belgium’s shape through sustained possession, they should control the match from start to finish. If Belgium finds space in transition against Spain’s high defensive line, they have shown all tournament that they can punish it quickly.
How to Watch
The match kicks off Friday, 10 July, at 3 p.m. Eastern Time, which is 9 p.m. Central Africa Time, with SuperSport carrying live coverage across its World Cup channels. Whichever side survives Friday will carry real momentum into the semifinal, but for now, everything else can wait. Los Angeles gets one of the tournament’s most anticipated quarterfinals, and history says this rivalry rarely settles quietly.
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