After a last-gasp winner against Portugal booked Spain's place in the quarter-finals of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, Belgium advanced past the hosts USA to confirm their place also. The two teams will face each other in Los Angeles on Friday at 12:00 local time (20:00 BST).

Spain are still yet to concede a goal at the tournament and became the first team in history to keep six consecutive clean sheets at the World Cup, including the 0-0 draw they had with Morocco back in 2022.

Luis de la Fuente's side are chasing their second World Cup trophy 16 years on from their 2010 triumph in South Africa. Belgium will be a tough test for them, but Spain will be the favourites after defeating Portugal and given the array of talent in their squad. Although, the Red Devils dismantled the USA, surprising the world after the USA's impressive form, showing how big of a threat they can be against any team.

Belgium's match against the USA was subject to lots of controversy after FIFA suspended Folarin Balogun's red card from the previous match. It was clear there had been some intervention from Donald Trump and Gianni Infantino, infuriating the wider football world. Some considered the USA favourites to beat Belgium but the Red Devils eased past the hosts and now face a strong and confident Spain.

Belgium topped Group G, finishing just ahead of Egypt on goal difference, but were not overly impressive to many viewers. They then faced Senegal in the Round of 32, where they were 2-0 down after 85 minutes. Then out of nowhere, two late goals from Romelu Lukaku and Youri Tielemans took the match to extra-time. The Red Devils then just edged past Senegal after a 125th minute penalty from Tielemans in one of the best comebacks we have seen at the World Cup.

Spain's journey has been steady but not as emphatic as they may have expected. It began with a 0-0 draw to Cape Verde but has since been full of victories. A 4-0 win against Saudi Arabia was the highlight of the group stage and a 3-0 win over Austria in the Round of 32 was impressive. But their late win against Portugal could have easily gone wrong if not for Mikel Merino's 91st minute winner and a number of missed chances from Portugal. Although they were the better side, many people are not totally convinced on the Spaniards and this match could show whether they are truly capable of lifting the prize.

Spain were the first of the two sides to qualify for the final eight when they broke Portuguese hearts in stoppage time to win 1-0. Mikel Merino's goal in the 91st minute ended Cristiano Ronaldo's World Cup dream and eliminated a talented Portugal squad, showing how Spain can be ruthless when they need to be.

Portugal sat deep and looked to counterattack Spain but La Roja's solid defence prevented many opportunities and kept another clean sheet. There is quality all over the pitch for Spain but it is their midfield which controls matches. Pedri and Rodri are outstanding in possession and the creativity of Dani Olmo has been really useful for de la Fuente. 

Belgium head into this match with momentum after scoring four against the USA. Manager Rudi Garcia made the bold decision to not include either of Kevin De Bruyne or Jeremy Doku in the starting XI, much to the shock of the fans, but the decision paid off and the Red Devils were fantastic throughout the match.

Charles De Ketelaere scored Belgium's first two goals before substitutes Hans Vanaken and Romelu Lukaku added a third and fourth. Many thought that Belgium's golden generation had passed and that they would not be a big competitor this tournament, but after a few good results and a new-look team, they are beginning to prove people wrong.

There have been no major injuries for Spain throughout the campaign and Lamine Yamal, Nico Williams and Victor Munoz have all recovered or are close to a full recovery. Yamal will start on the right-wing and will be their biggest threat but Williams and Munoz are set for the bench again, still short of full fitness.

Pedro Porro has broke into the side at right-back ahead of Marcos Llorente and will likely keep his place. Merino could start for the second time at this tournament after his impact off the bench in the last match but we could see an unchanged line-up from de la Fuente once again like they were last time out. 

With Garcia dropping De Bruyne and Doku against the USA, the pair could find themselves on the sidelines again for this match. De Ketelaere is expected to start as a false nine again instead of the Red Devils' all-time top goalscorer Romelu Lukaku and Hans Vanaken could be called in to replace the injured Amadou Onana, who suffered an ACL rupture just 20 minutes into Belgium's last match.

Leandro Trossard and Youri Tielemans have been ever-present in the starting line-up and will likely continue to be so against Spain. Real Madrid's Thibaut Courtois will start in between the sticks and Benfica's Dodi Lukebakio could start on the right-wing once again after some impressive performances.

Zeno Debast will still not feature in this match as he is still recovering from a serious leg injury he picked up in training with his club Sporting CP. 

Spain 2-0 Belgium

This match could be another shock as Belgium look to continue their 2026 World Cup run. Spain mustn't underestimate the Red Devils though, despite the gap in quality between the sides, but La Roja will be the majority's bet to go through.

Both sides remain unbeaten at this year's tournament and are desperate to make it through to the semi-finals where they will face the winner of France vs Morocco. Spain and Belgium have only ever met twice at the World Cup before, with both sides winning once each.

Spain look composed and difficult to break down in defence, and they have stopped teams like Portugal and Austria from scoring. Belgium might not have enough fire power in attack to be the first team Spain concedes to and their defence will have to be strong to stop La Roja's attack.

Across the pitch, the battles look like they could easily go Spain's way. For example, Belgium's full-backs are not overly convincing and could struggle against Yamal. The midfield also looks much weaker than Spain's and the attack could struggle.

Whilst I have not been overly impressed with either side this summer, Spain are much stronger and I think they will be too much for Belgium. The Red Devils could cause them some problems and have shown great resilience during their campaign but this feels one step too far. I think Spain will keep another clean sheet and get the job done to reach the semi-final stage.