Simón's Record Streak Ends After 649 Minutes – Spain Trembles but Beats Belgium

Spain was the only team in the tournament that had not conceded a goal before the quarterfinals. In the group matches against Cape Verde (0:0), Saudi Arabia (4:0), Uruguay (1:0), as well as in the knockout rounds against Austria (3:0) and Portugal (1:0), Simón had kept a clean sheet. It was only in the round of 16 against Austria that he had surpassed the previous record held by Walter Zenga from 1990.

The Italian Zenga had played 517 minutes without conceding at the World Cup in Italy – from the opening match to the semifinal. That mark stood for more than three decades until Simón now clearly surpassed it in the USA, Canada, and Mexico. During his streak, Simón had previously been beaten only once, and that was in a penalty shootout.

Spain Responds and Advances to the Semifinal

Despite conceding, the Spanish team kept their nerve. Fabián Ruiz had given the Iberians the lead in the 30th minute before De Ketelaere equalized just before the break. In the 88th minute, substitute Mikel Merino, who had already scored the winning goal in the round of 16 against Portugal and is under contract with FC Arsenal, scored the decisive goal for the 2:1 final score.

With the victory, Spain advanced to the final four of a World Cup for the first time in 16 years. Back then, in 2010, the Seleção had won the title. Reaching the semifinal is an important step for the team coached by Luis de la Fuente, after they had already been eliminated in the round of 16 at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar by Morocco – then after a 0:0 and a penalty shootout defeat.

Coach Luis de la Fuente sees untapped potential in his young offensive player Lamine Yamal, who has scored only one goal in five tournament appearances. "Er hat unglaubliches Potenzial, aber wir haben den besten Lamine noch nicht gesehen," de la Fuente said about the 19-year-old.

Voices and Atmosphere Before the Match

On the other side, Belgium's coach Rudi Garcia had emphasized before the match that his team knew the difficult atmosphere in the USA. "Wir haben die USA gerade erst geschlagen in einem Spiel, in dem jeder gegen uns war, also kann es morgen nicht komplizierter sein," Garcia said with a view to the 4:1 victory in the round of 16 against the hosts.

The round of 16 match between the USA and Belgium had achieved record ratings in the United States. According to the US federation, an average of 50.1 million people watched the match – a figure surpassed this century only by NFL games.

Other Quarterfinalists and Their Stories

The World Cup in the USA, Canada, and Mexico runs for 38 days, with the tournament having started on July 11. For the first time, 48 teams are participating in twelve preliminary groups. The climatic conditions are an additional burden for the teams: in Miami, temperatures of around 36 degrees Celsius currently prevail with very high humidity.

Norway faces England in the quarterfinal on Saturday at 23:00 (MagentaTV) in Miami. Striker star Erling Haaland, 25, is in the starting lineup after seven tournament goals. Norway's coach Ståle Solbakken, 58, had however criticized his star's training diligence: "Der Hunger ist nicht so groß im Training. Das war in einigen Einheiten so, wenn ich ehrlich bin." Crown Prince Haakon of Norway has announced his attendance at the match.

In the other quarterfinal, Switzerland must face Argentina on Sunday at 3:00 AM CEST without Johan Manzambi. The 20-year-old attacker, who has scored three goals in the tournament, had to sit out the round of 16 against Colombia due to a bruised knee and is also missing in the quarterfinal. "Johan kann morgen leider nicht spielen. Wir haben es versucht, Johan fit zu bekommen, aber das lässt es noch nicht zu. Das schmerzt extrem," coach Murat Yakin said. Switzerland is in a World Cup quarterfinal for the first time since the 1954 home World Cup and has never reached a semifinal.

Off the Pitch: Threats, Coaching Changes, and Controversies

Off the pitch, the case of Colombian national player Jaminton Campaz is causing a stir. The 25-year-old, who is under contract with Argentine club Rosario Central, had missed the chance to score the winning goal in extra time during the penalty shootout in the round of 16 against Switzerland. After Colombia's elimination, he received death threats together with his family. The Colombian football federation has publicly condemned the threats and called on the Attorney General to accelerate the investigation to identify those responsible. According to One Football, Campaz has not returned to his home country for security reasons.

In Portugal, meanwhile, Jorge Jesus has taken over as national coach after his predecessor Martínez resigned following the 0:1 loss in the round of 16 against Spain in Arlington, Texas. Martínez, 52, had held the position for three and a half years and won the 2025 Nations League with Portugal. "Heute beginnt eine neue Reise. Herzlich willkommen in der Nationalmannschaft, Herr Jorge Jesus," was the announcement at his presentation.

In South Africa, Belgian coach Hugo Broos, 74, has announced his resignation as national coach. He had led the team to the knockout round of a World Cup for the first time, where they were eliminated in the round of 16 by Canada. Broos had previously announced his departure in the Belgian magazine Humo. A possible successor is former national coach Pitso Mosimane, who took over South Africa in 2010 after the home World Cup as an assistant coach.

In Germany, discussions are ongoing about the successor to the national team coach. Per Mertesacker, 41, who became world champion in 2014 and now works as a TV expert for ZDF, has expressed openness to a role with the DFB. "Irgendwann mal beim DFB zu arbeiten und dem deutschen Fußball, dem ich so viel zu verdanken habe, etwas zurückzugeben, reizt mich. Dafür stehe ich natürlich zur Verfügung," Mertesacker said. However, according to his own statement, no one from the federation has contacted him yet: "Noch hat sich keiner angemeldet bei mir." Germany was eliminated in the round of 16 by Paraguay and is facing a rebuild.

A controversy involving France's superstar Kylian Mbappé is also causing a stir. Paraguayan Senator Celeste Amarilla de Boccia called Mbappé "Sohn einer Hündin" in the Senate after his refusal to shake the hand of Paraguayan goalkeeper Orlando Gill. She subsequently reported a possible hack of her Instagram account. The French football federation has filed a complaint against the senator.