00:00Spain booked their place in the FIFA World Cup 2026 semifinals after a dramatic 2-1 victory over Belgium in
00:08Los Angeles.
00:09Just when the contest looked destined for extra time, substitute Mikel Moreno once again emerged as Spain's knockout hero,
00:17scoring a late winner to send the European champions into the last four.
00:21Spain will now face France in what promises to be one of the biggest clashes of the tournament.
00:26Both teams started with attacking intent, but Spain gradually took control through their trademark possession football.
00:34Le Mignemal constantly troubled Belgium's defense with his pace and dribbling,
00:38while Dani Olmo and Mikelo Yarzubal kept creating dangerous openings.
00:43Spain finally found the breakthrough in the 30th minute.
00:46Fabian Ruiz reacted quickest after Belgium goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois failed to deal with the initial effort,
00:53calmly slotting home to give Spain a deserved 1-0 lead.
00:57It was another reward for Spain's relentless pressure as Belgium struggled to contain their movement in midfield.
01:03Despite spending long periods without possession, Belgium refused to surrender.
01:09Kevin De Bruyne began finding more space in midfield,
01:12while Jeremy Doku and Timothy Castaigne started stretching the Spanish defense.
01:17Their persistence paid off in the 41st minute when Castaigne delivered a brilliant cross into the penalty area.
01:25Charles de Quetelaire timed his run perfectly and powered a header past Dani Simon to level the scores at 1
01:31-1.
01:32The goal ended Simon's remarkable World Cup clean sheet run,
01:35which had stretched to a record 650 minutes.
01:39The second half became a tactical battle with both managers making key substitutions.
01:44Spain continued to dominate possession,
01:47but Belgium defended with great discipline and looked dangerous on the counter-attack.
01:52Belgium then suffered a major setback when star goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois was forced off through injury.
01:59Young goalkeeper Sen Lamens came on for his World Cup debut
02:02and was immediately tested by Spain's constant attacking waves.
02:07Belgium were already missing important midfielders including Uri Thielmans and Amadou Onana,
02:12making the challenge even tougher.
02:15With extra time approaching, Spain made one final push.
02:19Luis de la Fuente introduced Mikel Moreno,
02:22who had already scored the winning goal against Portugal in the round of 16.
02:26In the 88th minute,
02:28Pau Cubarsi's long-range effort slipped awkwardly through debutante goalkeeper Sen Lamens.
02:34Moreno reacted first to the rebound and calmly tapped home from close range,
02:38sparking wild celebrations among the Spanish players and supporters.
02:43Belgium threw everything forward during stoppage time, but Spain's defense held firm.
02:48Rodri controlled the midfield brilliantly while Yamal continued to threaten until the final whistle.
02:54The victory means Spain remain one of the tournament favorites and extend their impressive unbeaten run.
03:00They have now reached the World Cup semi-finals while maintaining their reputation as one of the most balanced teams
03:07in the competition.
03:08Although Belgium's golden generation fell short once again, their performance earned plenty of respect.
03:15Charles de Quetelaire impressed throughout the tournament,
03:18while de Bruyne continued to lead from the front despite battling against Spain's energetic midfield.
03:24Injuries to Courtois, Thielmans, and Onana undoubtedly affected Belgium's chances,
03:30but Rudy Garcia's side pushed Spain harder than any previous opponent in this tournament.
03:35Spain's reward is a blockbuster semi-final against France, who defeated Morocco in the other quarterfinal.
03:42With world-class talent on both sides,
03:45the encounter is already being billed as a potential final before the final.
03:50If Spain reproduced the composure, quality, and resilience they displayed against Belgium,
03:55they will believe another World Cup final is within touching distance.
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