{"id":1923692878,"date":"2026-07-12T07:29:04","date_gmt":"2026-07-12T07:29:04","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.bangbet.com\/gh\/news\/?p=1923692878"},"modified":"2026-07-12T07:29:05","modified_gmt":"2026-07-12T07:29:05","slug":"spain-vs-belgium-result-world-cup-2026-quarter-final-thriller","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.bangbet.com\/gh\/news\/spain-vs-belgium-result-world-cup-2026-quarter-final-thriller\/","title":{"rendered":"Spain vs Belgium Result: World Cup 2026 Quarter-Final Thriller"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<h1 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><\/h1>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Spain booked their place in the <strong>semi-finals of the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.fifa.com\/en\/tournaments\/mens\/worldcup\/canadamexicousa2026\">FIFA World Cup 2026<\/a><\/strong> after a dramatic <strong>2\u20131 victory over Belgium<\/strong>, thanks to another late strike from <strong>Mikel Merino<\/strong>, the man quickly earning the reputation as Spain\u2019s \u201csuper-sub.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Match Details<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Fixture:<\/strong> Spain vs Belgium<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Stage:<\/strong> Quarter-Final<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Final Score:<\/strong> Spain 2\u20131 Belgium<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Goals:<\/strong>\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>30\u2019 \u2013 Fabi\u00e1n Ruiz (Spain)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>41\u2019 \u2013 Charles De Ketelaere (Belgium)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>88\u2019 \u2013 Mikel Merino (Spain)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Key Match Moments<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Ruiz Opens the Scoring<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Spain took control early when <strong>Fabi\u00e1n Ruiz<\/strong> slotted home in the 30th minute, giving La Roja the advantage and setting the tone for a high-tempo clash.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Belgium Fight Back<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Belgium responded swiftly, with <strong>Charles De Ketelaere<\/strong> equalizing in the 41st minute. The Red Devils showed resilience, keeping Spain under pressure heading into halftime.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Merino \u2013 Spain\u2019s Super-Sub<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">For the second consecutive match, <strong>Mikel Merino<\/strong> came off the bench to deliver a decisive blow. Subbed on in the 86th minute, he scored just two minutes later, sealing Spain\u2019s passage to the semi-finals.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Merino\u2019s impact mirrors his performance against Portugal, where he scored in stoppage time after coming on late. His ability to change games has made him Spain\u2019s unexpected hero.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Spain Continue Their Impressive World Cup Run<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Spain have continued to impress throughout the 2026 FIFA World Cup with disciplined defending, intelligent possession football and exceptional squad depth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Luis de la Fuente&#8217;s side has now eliminated two strong European rivals in succession, overcoming Portugal before knocking out Belgium. While stars like Fabi\u00e1n Ruiz, Pedri and Lamine Yamal have consistently delivered quality performances, Spain&#8217;s substitutes have also made a huge difference during the knockout rounds.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Merino&#8217;s latest match-winning cameo perfectly illustrates the strength of Spain&#8217;s entire squad and their ability to change games from the bench.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Belgium Exit After Brave Display<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Belgium can leave the tournament with plenty of pride despite the defeat.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The Red Devils showed resilience after falling behind and fought back through De Ketelaere&#8217;s first-half equaliser. They defended bravely for long periods and looked capable of forcing extra time before Merino&#8217;s late intervention broke Belgian hearts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Their World Cup journey ends in the quarter-finals, but several young players gained valuable experience on football&#8217;s biggest stage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>What This Result Means<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Spain:<\/strong> Into the <strong>semi-finals<\/strong>, continuing their quest for World Cup glory.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Belgium:<\/strong> Eliminated, despite a spirited performance.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Merino:<\/strong> Cemented his reputation as Spain\u2019s clutch player, scoring in back-to-back knockout matches.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Betting Insights \u2013 Bangbet Advantage<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Looking to capitalize on the excitement of the World Cup? At <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.bangbet.com\">Bangbet<\/a><\/strong>, you\u2019ll find:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Best Odds<\/strong> across all World Cup fixtures.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Exclusive Bonuses<\/strong> including boosted odds and free bets.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Live Betting<\/strong> to wager as the drama unfolds.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Secure Transactions<\/strong> for hassle-free deposits and withdrawals.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Spain\u2019s victory over Belgium was a <strong>classic knockout battle<\/strong>, defined by resilience, drama, and a late hero. With Merino stepping up once again, La Roja march into the semi-finals with confidence and momentum.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/bangbet.com\">Bangbet<\/a> More Than Win!<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Spain booked their place in the semi-finals of the FIFA World Cup 2026 after a dramatic 2\u20131 victory over Belgium, thanks to another late strike from Mikel Merino, the man quickly earning the reputation as Spain\u2019s \u201csuper-sub.\u201d Match Details Key Match Moments Ruiz Opens the Scoring Spain took control early when Fabi\u00e1n Ruiz slotted home [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":1923692879,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"tdm_status":"","tdm_grid_status":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[35],"tags":[3017,2985,3013,3012,2716,105,3015,3016,1291,3011,2984,2987,3014,2756],"class_list":["post-1923692878","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-football-news","tag-bangbet-sports-betting","tag-belgium-world-cup","tag-charles-de-ketelaere","tag-fabian-ruiz","tag-fifa-world-cup-2026","tag-football-news","tag-luis-de-la-fuente","tag-match-report","tag-mikel-merino","tag-spain-2-1-belgium","tag-spain-vs-belgium","tag-spain-world-cup","tag-world-cup-quarter-finals","tag-world-cup-results"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bangbet.com\/gh\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1923692878","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bangbet.com\/gh\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bangbet.com\/gh\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bangbet.com\/gh\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bangbet.com\/gh\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1923692878"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/www.bangbet.com\/gh\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1923692878\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1923692883,"href":"https:\/\/www.bangbet.com\/gh\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1923692878\/revisions\/1923692883"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bangbet.com\/gh\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1923692879"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bangbet.com\/gh\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1923692878"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bangbet.com\/gh\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1923692878"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bangbet.com\/gh\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1923692878"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}