2026 World Cup: Mikel Merino Strikes Again—Spain Reaches the Semifinals in the 88th Minute

Spain again, Mikel Merino again. Having already knocked Portugal out in the round of 16 at the 2026 World Cup, the Navarrese midfielder did it again in the quarterfinals, dashing Belgium’s hopes after they had already managed to turn the tide once in the extremely tight match at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles. The match ended 2-1 in favor of the Spanish, taking the lead in the 30th minute thanks to Fabian Ruiz, only to be tied in the 41st minute by the resurgent Charles De Ketelaere—scoring his third World Cup goal after his two against the United States—and then celebrating in the 88th minute after Courtois’s injury for their rivals. Now comes the star-studded semifinal against France.

A tense match with few highlights in the opening minutes, but the chances that did come were mostly created by Spain. Rodri tried first, only to be blocked, then it was Yamal’s turn, but his shot was off target. Belgium, however, is still in the game, and Cucurella has to work hard to block De Ketelaere’s shot. As has often been the case throughout this World Cup, the cooling break changes the course of the match: in the 30th minute, Yamal makes a run down the right, and Dani Olmo takes a shot that Courtois does his best to stop. On the rebound, however, Fabian Ruiz has no trouble slamming the ball into the net.

Yamal could have doubled the lead twice, but Belgium never gave up. In fact, in the 41st minute, Castagne crossed from the left to De Ketelaere, who headed home the equalizer. Spain, already more aggressive than their rivals in the first half, came out firing in the second half and bombarded the opponent’s goal, particularly through Yamal and Oyarzabal. On the counterattack, however, Vanaken and De Bruyne nearly pulled off a shocker. The momentum of the match shifted in Spain’s favor in the 71st minute, however, when Courtois had to leave the field due to injury and was replaced by Senne Lammens, born in 2002. And it was off a short save by Lammens following a shot by Cubarsì that Merino once again scored the goal that secured qualification.

The moment Courtois left the field was one of the most poignant of the entire tournament. The Real Madrid goalkeeper left the field in tears, consoled in vain by head coach Rudi Garcia and his teammates, after a problem with his left quadriceps had not resolved even during the hydration break. It was a devastating blow for the Red Devils, who up to that point had managed to withstand the onslaught of the Red Fury. Stepping up to fill the enormous void was Senne Lammens, born in 2002, a name far from unknown on the European scene: the young goalkeeper had already caught the attention of Manchester United in the past, who had followed him with interest before turning their focus to other prospects.

Belgium’s journey in this World Cup had been anything but smooth. After an extremely difficult start in the group stage, with a 1-1 draw against Egypt and a 0-0 draw against Iran, Garcia’s team turned things around with a decisive 5-1 victory over New Zealand, before experiencing the thrill of extra time against Senegal, coming back from a 0-2 deficit to win 3-2 thanks to a brace from Tielemans and a goal from Lukaku. Qualification for the quarterfinals then came with greater conviction thanks to a 4-1 victory over the host United States in the round of 16, a match in which De Ketelaere scored a brace and Courtois himself had to contend with the physical toll of an increasingly grueling tournament.

For Spain, on the other hand, this is yet another confirmation of a World Cup campaign that, while not always spectacular, has remained undefeated. La Roja had already advanced from the group stage with a 4-0 win over Saudi Arabia and a 3-0 victory over Austria, before narrowly defeating Portugal thanks to Merino’s 91st-minute goal in what had already been a true masterpiece of clinical efficiency. A recurring theme that played out once again tonight, with the same hero.

Awaiting Spain in the semifinals is a France team that knows no obstacles: Les Bleus defeated Morocco 2-0 in Foxborough, with goals from Mbappé and Dembélé, securing their sixth win in six matches in the tournament. The Real Madrid star, who had also missed a penalty in the first half, was substituted late in the game due to a physical issue that has yet to be assessed. The matchup between the tournament’s two top favorites promises to be one of the most anticipated games of the entire competition.