Merino's late winner sends Spain into World Cup semifinal against France

The opening goal was scored by Fabián Ruiz in the 30th minute. After a cross from Pedro Porro, Dani Olmo got his shot off in the penalty area, his effort was saved by Thibaut Courtois. Ruiz was in exactly the right place at the five-meter box and tapped in from close range. The goal was confirmed following a video review.

Spain takes the lead

The Spanish lead, however, lasted only a good ten minutes. In the 41st minute, the Belgians struck with ice-cold precision: Timothy Castagne crossed from the right side to Charles De Ketelaere, who created space in front of central defender Pau Cubarsi and headed the ball into the net for the 1:1 equalizer.

With this goal, an impressive run came to an end for Spain's goalkeeper Unai Simón. The shot-stopper from Athletic Bilbao had previously gone 649 minutes without conceding a goal at World Cups, clearly surpassing the old record held by Walter Zenga (517 minutes). Belgium's counterattack at this stage of the match felt like a signal to the Spanish defense.

After the break, the Spaniards controlled the game for long stretches. They registered around 65 percent possession and created several good chances, which however failed either against the strong Courtois or the Belgian defense. Lamine Yamal narrowly missed the target with a curling effort in the 52nd minute, and Mikel Oyarzabal was denied by the Belgian keeper in the 62nd minute.

Belgium strikes back

Belgium, for their part, remained dangerous on the counter. Maxim De Cuyper fired his shot just centimeters wide of the near post in the 55th minute. In the 60th minute, coach Tedesco brought on fresh attacking options in Romelu Lukaku, Axel Witsel, and Timothy Seys to try to turn the match around.

On the Spanish side, de la Fuente brought on Pedri and Ferran Torres for Ruiz and Baena in the 55th minute. In the 79th minute, he replaced top scorer Oyarzabal with Nico Williams, and in the 86th minute Merino came on for Olmo. The substitutions underscored the Spaniards' determination to win.

The decisive moment came in the 88th minute. Following the substitution of Courtois, who had suffered a thigh injury during a counterattack in the 71st minute, Senne Lammens of Manchester United took over in goal for Belgium. Lammens, who was making only his third international appearance, was unable to hold a long-range shot from Pau Cubarsi, and Merino pounced to slot home the celebrated 2:1.

The late goal was reminiscent of the round of 16 match against Portugal, when Merino had also scored the decisive goal in stoppage time. Back then, the Spanish coach had likewise brought on the now 30-year-old in the closing stages, who struck in the 91st minute in the 1:0 win against Portugal. The parallels are striking.

Merino becomes the match-winner

For Merino himself, it was a déjà vu experience. With a broad grin, he explained after the match: „Ich bin schon wieder reingekommen und habe kurz vor Schluss den Treffer erzielt, der entscheidend war." When asked about his repeated last-minute qualities, he replied simply: „Man gewöhnt sich langsam dran."

Belgian goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois, who had been forced to withdraw injured in the 71st minute, watched the decisive moment from the bench and broke down in tears at the missed opportunity. The 34-year-old, who was playing his 21st World Cup match with this game and is surpassed only by Manuel Neuer, had previously produced several brilliant saves and was also powerless on the 1:0.

Even before the match, Merino had emphasized: „Es sind noch zwei Spiele und dann hoffen wir, dass wir unseren Traum wahr machen können." With the semifinal qualification, Spain has come a step closer to that goal. The team built around the outstanding Lamine Yamal has been unbeaten since March 2024 and has now extended its run to 37 competitive matches without a defeat in regular or extra time.

Spain's impressive run

France, the Spaniards' next opponent, had comfortably beaten Morocco 2:0 in the quarterfinal on Thursday. The European duel on Tuesday in Dallas (9 p.m. CEST) promises to be an evenly matched contest, as two of the title favorites face each other. The French, who have impressed in the tournament so far, will pose a similar challenge to the Spanish defense as Belgium did.

Spain also has a special statistic behind them: For the first time since 2010, the team is in a World Cup semifinal. Back then, the Iberians ultimately won the title, with goals from central defender Puyol and striker Iniesta among others. Coach de la Fuente, who was already in charge of the Spanish side at Euro 2024, is leading the team into a promising future.

Off the pitch, prominent spectators caused a stir. Among the 70,492 guests at the stadium in Los Angeles were Hollywood stars such as Brad Pitt, Penélope Cruz, and Javier Bardem, who watched the match from the VIP lounge. The atmosphere in the sold-out stadium resembled a great football festival, even though Spain's performance was not always brilliant.

Outlook on the semifinal

The summary is mixed: Spain struggled against the defensively minded Belgians, who fought tenaciously despite the injury setback to Tielemans, who had to pull out during warm-up. The xG values of 1.34 to 0.34, however, show that Spain's chances were qualitatively superior and the victory was overall deserved.

With the qualification for the semifinals, Spain has cleared the next hurdle on the path to another World Cup triumph. The duel with France promises to be a highlight of the tournament, as two teams that both belong to the title favorites face each other. The anticipation among Spanish fans is correspondingly high.

Coach de la Fuente emphasized the significance of the victory after the match: „Es ist ein Privileg, sein Trainer zu sein." He pointed to the team spirit and determination of his squad, who never gave up even in difficult phases. The mix of experienced players like Rodri and young talents like Yamal is the key to success.

Merino's second last-minute show

Mikel Merino, who has become the match-winner with his second last-minute goal of the tournament, is already looking ahead to the semifinal. „Es sind noch zwei Spiele und dann hoffen wir, dass wir unseren Traum wahr machen können," he had already said before the match against Belgium. With his finishing ability in the closing stages, he is at least already one of the defining players of this World Cup.

The match in Dallas will kick off on Tuesday evening (9 p.m. CEST). The winner of this duel will face the winner of the other semifinal in the final on July 19. Spain now has the historic chance to reach a World Cup final for the first time since 2010 – and perhaps even win the title.

The road there is still long, but the signs are good for the Iberians. With the 2:1 victory over Belgium, Luis de la Fuente's team has not only reached the semifinals but also strengthened its confidence for the upcoming tasks. The next stage already awaits: France.

Spain is now the first European team to qualify for the semifinals, after South American teams such as Argentina and Brazil were eliminated in the group stage. The semifinalists are drawn from Europe and Africa, with France and Spain being the favored teams. The semifinal draw has thus produced a true dream duel.