Mikel Merino comes off the bench to interrupt Belgian hearts after slip from sub keeper Senne Lammens.
Printed On 10 Jul 2026
Mikel Merino scored within the 88th minute from a rebound yielded by backup Belgium goalkeeper Senne Lammens, and Spain superior to the World Cup semifinals with a 2-1 victory.
Merino was the late hero for the second straight match for Spain, who superior to face event favorite France within the semifinals on Tuesday in Dallas.
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Merino got here on within the 86th minute and scored from his second contact of the match, charging into the field and pouncing after Lammens spilled a Pau Cubarsi shot from exterior the realm.
The Arsenal ahead additionally scored in its place early in harm time to safe Spain’s 1-0 victory over Portugal within the last-16.
Lammens, the Manchester United keeper, was pressured into the match within the 71st minute after longtime Belgium keeper Thibaut Courtois left with an obvious thigh harm.
Belgium desperately pressed for an equaliser within the remaining minutes, however Aymeric Laporte volleyed their finest probability out of the field.
Fabian Ruiz scored the opening purpose within the thirtieth minute for Spain after Courtois had parried a shot from Dani Olmo from Pedro Porro’s cut-back from the suitable of the realm, however Belgium ahead Charles De Ketelaere scored the primary purpose allowed by Spain in all the World Cup within the forty first minute.
His header from Timothy Castagne’s cross from the suitable ended a document streak of 649 minutes with out conceding on the World Cup.
