Spain faces Belgium in quarterfinal: Clash of the unbeaten in Inglewood

Belgium relies on quality and experience

Confidence also prevails on the Belgian side. "Jeder in unserer Mannschaft glaubt, dass es möglich ist", said coach Rudi Garcia. "Wir haben Qualitäten, die Spanien einkalkulieren muss", added goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois. The Real Madrid keeper, who as the only established player from Belgium's "Golden Generation" still holds a regular spot, expressed growing satisfaction with his team's form. "Wir werden besser und besser", said Courtois.

Garcia also looked back at France's 2:0 win against Morocco, which benefited Belgium. "Frankreich war das bessere Team. Das eine ist, nervös zu sein, das andere ist, ängstlich zu sein. Ich bin mir bewusst, was ich kontrollieren kann und das kontrolliere ich gut", he said. "Wir denken an nichts anderes als Belgien morgen. Aber als Profis kann ich versichern, wir sind komplett auf das Spiel morgen fokussiert."

Spain's defensive strength as a record

Control over the game is the credo of de la Fuente's team. Spain has been unbeaten in 35 international matches in regular time and extra time since March 2024. "35 Spiele ohne Niederlage zu bleiben, war kein Ziel, das wir uns gesetzt hatten", said the Spanish coach. Only the 2025 Nations League final was lost on penalties against Portugal.

Spaniards have "Schmetterlinge im Bauch" before the duel with the "Red Devils." "In der Ruhe liegt die Kraft. Das gibt mir viel Ruhe, ich bin gelassen", said de la Fuente. The Spanish defense, marshaled by goalkeeper Unai Simon, has already gone 609 minutes without conceding at World Cups – a record run. Simon also recalled the Spaniards' experience: "In der Champions League, der Europa League und auch bei einer WM."

Only in the round of 32 against Austria (3:0) and before that against Saudi Arabia (4:0) did the "Roja" score more than one goal. "Wir haben noch die besten acht Teams, das Spiel morgen wird das schwerste des Turniers", said de la Fuente. "Das Ziel ist es, alle Spiele zu gewinnen", said attacking player Dani Olmo, who with four tournament goals so far is among the most prominent performers.

Offensive depth in the 'Roja'

Almost half of Spain's tournament goals are accounted for by Mikel Oyarzabal, who has scored four times. During the European Championship triumph two years ago, ten different players scored a total of 15 goals – evidence of the squad's offensive depth. "Es wird eine noch größere Herausforderung, der wir uns stellen müssen", said de la Fuente about the upcoming task.

On the Belgian side, striker Romelu Lukaku will be under particular scrutiny. "Lukaku traf bereits dreimal in Folge als 'Joker'", according to a preview. In the round of 16 against the USA, Belgium delivered a strong performance, even if the team was not convincing at the start. "Die Leute waren ein bisschen enttäuscht, aber wir haben das ausgebügelt", said Garcia, referring to the group stage, in which a 5:1 against New Zealand only just secured the spot in the knockout phase.

Lukaku and the super-sub role

Belgium has experience in dramatic matches. A 0:2 deficit was turned into a 3:2 after extra time during the tournament. "Jeder in unserer Mannschaft glaubt, dass es möglich ist", Garcia emphasized. The Spanish coach also sees parallels to the 2010 World Cup, when Spain was defensively impenetrable on the way to the title and recorded four consecutive 1:0 wins in the knockout phase.

Expectations for the duel are high on both sides. "Die Spanier haben Schmetterlinge im Bauch", according to a preview. Both coaches emphasized the unity of their teams and the desire to advance to the semifinal. The match will be broadcast live on German television on Magenta TV and ZDF as well as on Austrian ORF1.

To knock out the European champions in Inglewood near Los Angeles on Friday (9:00 PM/live ORF1), the "Red Devils" must break an imposing goal barrier erected by the Iberians. Spain is the only team that has not conceded a goal at this World Cup.

Parallels to the 2010 World Cup

Garcia warned against underestimating the Spaniards. "Es tut sich eine Parallele zur WM 2010 auf: Auch damals agierte Spanien am Weg zum Titel defensiv unüberwindbar", wrote dpa. The Spaniards are considered favorites, but Belgium has proven in the past that it can hold its own against top opponents.

The winner of the quarterfinal will face the winner of the match between France and the winner of the round of 16 tie between Argentina and Norway in the semifinal. For both teams, reaching the final four would be a historic achievement – Belgium would stand in a World Cup semifinal for the first time since 2018.

Outlook on the semifinal

Before kickoff in Inglewood, tension reigns in both camps. The temperatures in Southern California and the significance of the match make the duel a particular challenge. "Das Spiel morgen wird das schwerste des Turniers", de la Fuente had already announced – a sentence that underscores the drama of the upcoming encounter.