Lightning doesn't strike twice in the exact same place unless you're Mikel Merino. The Arsenal midfielder has officially turned himself into the most lethal late-game weapon of the 2026 World Cup. When Spain needed a hero against Portugal in the round of 16, he stepped up deep into injury time. Against a stubborn, resilient Belgian squad at Los Angeles Stadium, he did it again. An 88th-minute strike sent La Roja straight into the semifinals with a breathless 2-1 victory.
This wasn't just another win. It felt like the definitive moment where Luis de la Fuente's men proved they possess the mental fortitude required to go all the way. They didn't panic when Belgium fought back. They didn't lose their shape when Thibaut Courtois threatened to block everything in sight. Instead, they hunted down the win, exposed a backup goalkeeper's fatal mistake, and locked down a spot against France on Tuesday.
The Tactical Chaos That Broken Belgium Apart
Luis de la Fuente set up Spain to dominate the ball early, utilizing a fluid 4-2-3-1 that put immense pressure on the Belgian flanks. Lamine Yamal operated with an astonishing level of tactical maturity, constantly dragging Maxim De Cuyper out of position. Spain found their breakthrough exactly half an hour into the contest. Fabián Ruiz picked up the ball in a dangerous pocket of space and rifled a brilliant effort past Courtois to put La Roja up 1-0.
For the next ten minutes, Spain looked completely in control. But you can never completely count out a Belgian squad loaded with elite individual quality. Just before the halftime whistle, Charles De Ketelaere found a crack in the Spanish defensive wall. His sharp execution beat Unai Simón in the 41st minute, marking the very first goal Spain has conceded in the knockout rounds of this tournament.
The equalizer shifted the entire momentum of the match heading into the break. The second half turned into a grueling chess match, filled with heavy challenges and intense tactical adjustments. Pau Cubarsí and Aymeric Laporte had their hands full trying to contain a physical Belgian front line, picking up necessary bookings to halt dangerous counterattacks.
The Injury That Changed Everything
Football matches turn on thin margins, and the definitive turning point arrived in the 71st minute. Thibaut Courtois, who had already racked up four crucial saves to keep Belgium level, went down holding his thigh. The Real Madrid superstar tried to fight through the discomfort during a brief hydration break, but his body simply gave out. He left the pitch in tears, visibly devastated by what could be his final major tournament appearance.
Rudi Garcia had to call upon Senne Lammens, the young Manchester United backup who hadn't logged a single minute of action in this tournament. Stepping into a high-stakes World Cup quarterfinal with twenty minutes left is a nightmare scenario for any reserve keeper. Spain smelled blood immediately. They increased their shot volume, forcing Lammens to make quick decisions under intense pressure.
De la Fuente pulled his masterstroke in the 85th minute, withdrawing Dani Olmo and subbing on Mikel Merino. It took Merino just three minutes and two touches to alter the course of Spanish football history. Young defender Pau Cubarsí launched a long, swerving effort from deep. The shot carried a nasty bounce, forcing Lammens into an awkward save. The young keeper spilled the rebound directly into the danger zone. Merino tracked the ball perfectly, charged past a static Belgian defense, and hammered the ball home to seal the 2-1 advantage.
A Defensiveness That Wins Championships
Scoring late is great, but holding onto a lead under a frantic aerial bombardment is what separates champions from pretenders. After Merino's goal, Belgium threw absolutely everything forward. The veteran Romelu Lukaku came off the bench to anchor a desperate long-ball strategy, hoping to use his physical frame to create chaos in the box.
Axel Witsel and Kevin De Bruyne pushed the limits of the referee's patience, with De Bruyne earning a yellow card just before being substituted due to sheer exhaustion. The defining defensive moment came deep into stoppage time. Belgium swung a dangerous cross into the six-yard box that looked destined for an equalizer. Aymeric Laporte tracked the flight perfectly, launching his body into the air for an acrobatic volley that cleared the ball out of the stadium.
It was pure survival football, executed with absolute perfection. When the final whistle blew, the contrasts on the pitch were stark. Lamine Yamal stood quietly near the center circle, looking deeply reflective despite the historic achievement. Meanwhile, Merino shared an emotional embrace with his manager, celebrating a repetition of history that felt almost too perfect to be real.
The Road to the Title Goes Through Dallas
Spain has reached the World Cup semifinals for the first time since their legendary 2010 championship run in South Africa. The beautiful football is still there, but this iteration of La Roja has an ugly, gritty edge to it that makes them incredibly scary. They know how to suffer. They know how to win when their primary tactical plan hits a wall.
Next up is an absolute blockbuster against tournament favorites France in the Dallas area on Tuesday. It promises to be a tactical war between two modern football heavyweights. Luis de la Fuente has already labeled it a clash of giants, and he isn't exaggerating. If Spain wants to reach the final at Lusail Stadium, they must replicate the exact same intensity they showed in Los Angeles.
To prepare for the massive semifinal showdown against France, Spain must execute three immediate tactical adjustments:
- Rest the core midfield to counteract the immense physical pressing of the French squad.
- Refine the defensive transition tracking to limit Kylian Mbappé's ability to exploit space behind Pedro Porro.
- Drill secondary shooting options from distance to test the French backline early and often.
The tactical blueprint is set, and the momentum is entirely in Spain's favor.
How the Quarterfinals Went Down
| National Team | Goals | Key Substitution | Match Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spain | 2 | Mikel Merino (85') | Advanced |
| Belgium | 1 | Senne Lammens (71') | Eliminated |
