Spain vs Belgium 2:1: Merino the hero of the night again

The night of July 11 brought just one match on the 2026 World Cup schedule by Kyiv time, but it turned out to be a real drama: Spain snatched a 2:1 victory over Belgium thanks to Mikel Merino's goal in the 88th minute and advanced to the semi-finals, where they will face France. Belgium, meanwhile, ended their tournament having lost two key players to injury before the final whistle.

Night results

Spain vs Belgium 2:1 (quarter-final)

The match at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California kicked off at 03:00 Kyiv time. Spain opened the scoring in the 30th minute: Lamine Yamal and Pedro Porro combined down the right flank, Dani Olmo struck, Courtois saved, and Fabian Ruiz tapped in the rebound. Belgium responded in the 41st minute — Charles De Ketelaere headed home a Timothy Castagne cross to level the score, marking the first goal Spain had conceded throughout the entire tournament.

The second half was an even contest. Belgium suffered a major blow when goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois was injured and had to leave the field, replaced by Senne Lammens. That substitution proved decisive: Merino came on in the 86th minute and on just his second touch rolled in a rebound from a Pau Cubarsí shot — 2:1 in the 88th minute. It was Merino's second match-winning goal as a substitute in a row: he had previously scored in added time against Portugal in the round of 32.

Belgium captain Youri Tielemans did not start due to an injury sustained during the warm-up. Spain extended their unbeaten run to 37 matches, while Belgium's 18-match unbeaten streak came to an end. Spain are reaching the World Cup semi-finals for the first time since 2010, when they won the title.

Tournament schedule

After two quarter-finals played, the 2026 World Cup play-off picture looks like this:

France (beat Morocco 2:0 on Thursday) — in the semi-final against Spain (Tuesday, July 14, 22:00 Kyiv time, Dallas).
The two spots in the second semi-final will be decided by the winners of today's matches: Norway vs England and Argentina vs Switzerland.

France remain the only team to have won all five of their tournament matches without extra time. Spain have not lost since March 2023 — 37 matches in a row. For more on Spain's and Belgium's road to the quarter-final, see the article "Spain vs Belgium: 2026 World Cup quarter-final tonight by Kyiv time".

Off the pitch

Courtois injury. Thibaut Courtois was injured in the second half of the quarter-final and left the field in tears. Belgian media report that the goalkeeper was emotionally distressed after the match, but no official diagnosis has yet been released by the club.
Tielemans ruled out. Belgium captain Youri Tielemans was injured during the pre-match warm-up and was unable to take the field. Midfielder Amadou Onana was also in the treatment room alongside him.
Manzambi to miss Switzerland vs Argentina. Switzerland head coach Murat Yakin confirmed that 20-year-old forward Johan Manzambi (3 goals in the tournament) will not play in today's quarter-final due to a knee injury. "Unfortunately, Johan Manzambi's injury is a huge blow for us," said Yakin. Whether the player will recover in time for a potential semi-final remains unknown.
Merino on his signature style. After the match, Mikel Merino commented on his habit of deciding games from the bench: "I did it again, and it happened to me again — it seems coincidences do exist," the Spaniard said with a smile.

As a reminder, FIFA rejected France's appeal regarding Olise's yellow card — read more in the article "France vs Morocco: FIFA rejects appeal over Olise". The latest 2026 World Cup match schedule by Kyiv time featuring Argentina and Switzerland is available in a separate article.

Today, July 11, two quarter-finals are being played at the World Cup: Norway vs England (Hard Rock Stadium, Miami, kick-off at 00:00 Kyiv time) and Argentina vs Switzerland (Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City, kick-off at 04:00 Kyiv time) — full preview in the evening section.

Photo: NBC Southern California · Editorial (source)