Spain vs. Belgium: Match Preview

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·09 de julho de 2026

Spain vs. Belgium: Match Preview

Spain vs Belgium will be one of two high-profile European matchups awaiting us in the quarterfinals of the 2026 FIFA World Cup. Spain have been shaky throughout the tournament, not quite reaching the heights of their Euro 2024 campaign yet. Belgium didn’t start the tournament convincingly either, but have ramped up their attack in recent matches. One of these teams has to finally put in a convincing performance this time to punch their ticket to the World Cup semifinals.

Spain vs Belgium: The Build-Up

Spain arrive at this fixture off the back of a Round of 16 victory against Portugal in the Iberian Derby. Spain’s lack of lethality in attack was balanced by their unrelenting, rigid defense. While they only scored the solitary goal deep into stoppage time to send Portugal out of the tournament, their defense has been incredible, with still zero goals conceded all tournament. Pau Cubarsí, Unai Simón, and Aymeric Laporte have been rocks at the back that Belgium will have to think long and hard about how to break down.

Vídeos OneFootball

Midfielder Mikel Merino, brought on late in the game, delivered the knockout blow in the 90th minute. That change by Luis de la Fuente showed that despite Spain’s starting XI not firing on all cylinders, they still have players capable of making an impact off the bench. In fact, three of de la Fuente’s substitutions, Fabián Ruiz, Ferran Torres, and Mikel Merino, were all involved in the move that sent Spain through.

While Spain fought out a result, Belgium put on an absolute show. Facing the United States in a controversial fixture, the Red Devils delivered a devastating 4-1 victory that sent a clear message to the rest of the tournament.

The star of the show was Charles De Ketelaere, who struck twice in the first half. While Malik Tillman managed to pull one back for the Americans in the 31st minute, it did little to destabilize Belgium. Hans Vanaken, stepping in as an early substitute, killed off the game with a 57th-minute strike before Romelu Lukaku added a goal deep into stoppage time.

Spain Are Still Not 100 Percent

Luis de la Fuente has a lot of head-scratching to do, especially after Spain still haven’t put in what you would call a single dominant performance throughout the tournament. Some of my observations regarding Spain’s performance against Portugal are as follows.

Lamine Yamal is fit, but out of form. Whether teams have figured him out or not, it must be said that he is not having the greatest tournament so far. Nuno Mendes and João Félix double-teamed him in the previous round, and after Mendes’ substitution it looked as though Yamal would finally have a better run at goal. But even Nelson Semedo, playing on the opposite side of his preferred position, managed to keep him quiet, with Yamal struggling to find solutions.
Even on the rare occasions Yamal got past defenders and delivered dangerous balls across goal, there was no true box-crasher to finish them. Álex Baena, operating from the left, couldn’t keep up with the pace of Yamal’s attacks, while Oyarzabal often found himself stranded between midfield and attack. As a result, several dangerous deliveries across the face of goal went unconverted.

Midfield Issues Might Arise in Spain vs Belgium

Mikel Oyarzabal and Dani Olmo often got in each other’s way. While Oyarzabal is the No. 9, Dani Olmo plays behind him as the No. 10. But Olmo can also naturally play as a second striker or false nine, so when he isn’t orchestrating attacks during the buildup, he often finds himself occupying the same spaces as Oyarzabal, forcing the Real Sociedad striker to drift wide or drop deep and get lost in the process.
Pedri is playing too safely, and as a result, Spain are not progressing the ball forward quickly enough. Whether that is due to instructions from the manager, the pressure of a major tournament, or simply a dip in form, Pedri is not playing with the same freedom that he does for Barcelona.

Belgium Can’t Depend on Luck Anymore

The Red Devils are the second-highest scoring team in the tournament with 13 goals, trailing only Argentina and France, who have 14. Four of those goals came in the last round against the United States, while five came during the rout of New Zealand. In the remaining games, however, Belgium have been made to work hard, failing to win either of their opening two group-stage matches. The general consensus around Belgium is that they are riding on borrowed luck, and sooner or later it will run out.

Many of the remaining stars from Belgium’s golden generation haven’t truly shown up yet. Using Romelu Lukaku and Kevin De Bruyne as impact substitutes instead of relying on them to carry the team appears to have been a smart move. Matches against Egypt and Iran had Belgium under serious pressure, while they were nearly knocked out by Senegal in the Round of 32 if not for late-game heroics.

Belgium will happily surrender 65 percent of the possession to Spain, sit in a compact low block, and rely almost entirely on direct vertical counterattacks using the pace of players like Jérémy Doku on the wings.

Spain vs Belgium: Team News

There is no reason for Luis de la Fuente to change his starting XI from the game against Portugal, but if he does, it will most likely involve Fabián Ruiz replacing Dani Olmo or Pedri. Another possibility is Ruiz and Mikel Merino both coming into midfield, though that seems unlikely. Injured wingers Yeremy Pino and Víctor Muñoz remain unavailable, while Nico Williams has a slim chance of featuring.

Spain vs Belgium | Expected Starting XI for Spain

For Belgium, Amadou Onana remains sidelined with the long-term ACL injury he suffered against the United States.

Spain vs Belgium | Expected Starting XI for Belgium

Prediction: Spain 2-0 Belgium. Sooner or later, Belgium’s luck has to run out, and I think this is where it ends. They haven’t put any memorable performances throughout the tournament, and while Spain haven’t either, at least the Spanish defence bails them out all the time.