Spain secured a spot in the World Cup semi-finals following a 2-1 win against Belgium in Los Angeles. Substitute Mikel Merino scored the winning goal in the 88th minute, setting up a semi-final match against France.

Luis de la Fuente’s team started strong and took a deserved lead when Fabián Ruiz broke the deadlock.

Belgium, who played without captain Youri Tielemans after he suffered an injury during the warm-up, equalized before half-time through Charles De Ketelaere. The two teams headed into the break level after an engaging first half.

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The second half proved more tactical, with Spain controlling possession and creating more scoring opportunities. Belgium goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois made several sharp saves to keep his side in the match before he was forced off due to an injury.

Lamine Yamal and Mikel Oyarzabal both came close to scoring, but the European champions struggled to find a decisive finish until Merino entered the game as a substitute.

The Arsenal midfielder, who has become known for his late match-winning contributions in this tournament, capitalized on a rebound after substitute goalkeeper Senne Lammens spilled a close-range attempt from Pau Cubarsí.

Spain dominated the statistics throughout the match, recording more than double Belgium’s expected goals over the 90 minutes. This dominance reflected a game that Spain controlled despite struggling to secure the result earlier.

The defeat marks the end of the tournament for Belgium’s golden generation, while Spain continues their pursuit of a second world title.

Jeremy Doku match statistics vs Spain

Minutes Played – 90

Assists – 0

Expected Assists (xA) – 0.09

Key Passes – 1

Crosses (Accurate) – 2 (1)

Accurate Passes – 15/19 (79%)

Passes in Opposition Half (Accurate) – 12/15 (80%)

Passes in Own Half (Accurate) – 3/4 (75%)

Long balls (Accurate) – 1/1 (100%)

Touches – 47

Unsuccessful Touches – 4

Dribbles (Successful) – 10 (5)

Was Fouled – 5

Possession Lost – 15

Total Carrying Distance – 270 m

Carries – 22

Progressive Carries – 5

Total Progression – 198.1 m

Progressive Carrying Distance – 107.5 m

Longest Progressive Carry – 25.9 m

Defensive Contributions – 3

Tackles (Won) – 1 (1)

Interceptions – 2

Clearances – 0

Blocked shots – 0

Recoveries – 5

Ground Duels (Won) – 22 (11)

Fouls – 3

Dribbled Past – 3

Data taken from Sofascore.