“Hola. Any word on Williams, is he fit?” inquires Shane Cahill.
It appears not. Williams has participated in only a half of football during the group stage and hasn’t stepped onto the pitch in the knockout rounds. In his absence, Álex Baena has excel on the left, providing Spain with greater control when in possession. Perhaps they are saving Williams for a potential clash against France.
Pau Cubarsí has also made a significant impact alongside Aymeric Laporte.
“Cubarsí, in particular, has been superb. For all the talk of Lamine Yamal, the kid who eclipses all else, it is the other teenager at the other end that has most impressed. Born in tiny Estanyol, a village with a population of around 200, the son of a carpenter who ran a family business going back four generations, Cubarsí is the second youngest man ever to make his debut for Spain. Lamine Yamal is the first. The day Cubarsí made his Barcelona debut, he and Lamine Yamal were younger than Robert Lewandowski put together.
There was something about him that was different from the start. “When I watch him, my heart rate doesn’t change,” said Barcelona’s then-coach Xavi Hernández. De la Fuente had given him his Spain debut and although he decided not to take him to the Euros, judging it a little soon, that calmness is clear here. “It doesn’t seem like he’s 19, the way he takes on responsibility is enviable,” Simón says. Cubarsí has completed 96% of his 449 passes, and not just sideways: 34 of his 71 against Portugal went into the opposition’s half. There were 19 recoveries and 23 defensive actions completed. Only Paolo Maldini reached as many clean sheets so quickly.
Spain has made history by reaching this stage of the World Cup without conceding a single goal.
As Sid Lowe reports from Los Angeles, Unai Simón has faced stiff competition to retain the No 1 position.
“Sod it, I’ll say it: we have the best goalkeepers at the World Cup,” Simón insisted a few days ago.
For Luis de la Fuente, though, there was never a debate, regardless of how persistent the noise became. Having coached Simón throughout the youth teams and winning titles such as the under-19 and under-21 Euros, Olympic silver, the Nations League, and Euro 2024, they were practically family. Now, Spain feels like Spain again, and Simón has made history. No other country has reached the sixth game of a men’s World Cup without conceding.
Spain has made one adjustment to the lineup that defeated Portugal, with Fabián Ruiz stepping in for Pedri in midfield. For Belgium, Kevin De Bruyne returns to the starting eleven after missing the win over the USA while recovering from an injury, replacing Amadou Onana, who sustained an ACL injury during that match. Jérémy Doku also returns to the starting lineup, taking the place of Dodi Lukébakio.
Spain (4-2-3-1): Simón; Porro, Cubarsí, Laporte, Cucurella; Rodri, Ruiz; Lamine Yamal, Olmo, Baena; Oyarzabal. Subs: Raya, J García, Pubill, Grimaldo, E García, Llorente, Merino, Torres, Gavi, Pino, Williams, Zubimendi, Muñoz, Iglesias, Pedri.
Belgium (4-2-3-1): Courtois; Castagne, Ngoy, Mechele, De Cuyper; Tielemans, Raskin; Trossard, De Bruyne, Doku; De Ketelaere. Subs: Lammens, Penders, Theate, Witsel, Lukaku, Lukébakio, Meunier, De Winter, Seys, Moreira, Vanaken, Saelemaekers, Fernandez-Pardo.
Referee: Michael Oliver (England)
An early dip into the mailbag reveals some interesting thoughts.
“I hope the Belgians have been practicing their Trumpian tiny-fist dance since that USA game. It was the only disappointing aspect of an otherwise convincing performance. As for the Spanish, a red muleta celebration would be a fun provocation to the bull currently threatening to end all trade with them. He still might find himself handing them a big chuck of gold in nine days time”
wrote Justin Kavanagh.
“Good morning it’s 1:25 and I’m desperately trying to stay awake for the match. Shades of Qatar where the old sleep schedule went down the pan. I for one am hoping for a Belgium win. I have not enjoyed any of the Spain matches (apart from Cape Verde, snigger). I’m Costa Rican so I have no skin in the game as they say but I do have Norway in the sweepstakes. Thanks as always for the the great commentary and for so far keeping me awake!”
commented Alexandra Fullerton.
Reflecting on my own sweepstake team, I managed to stay composed while providing minute-by-minute coverage for Colombia 0-0 Switzerland (3-4 pens) the other day.
Spain and Belgium are set to clash for the first time in a decade—a noteworthy occurrence given the establishment of the Nations League. Their last encounter was a friendly in September 2016, where Julen Lopetegui and Roberto Martínez managed their teams for the first time. Belgium faced boos in Brussels as David Silva’s brace secured a 2-0 victory for Spain.
The last major tournament meeting between these two sides was at Italia ’90, where Alberto Górriz scored the decisive goal in Verona, allowing Spain to advance as group winners. Their only prior World Cup encounter occurred in the quarter-finals four years earlier, which saw Belgium triumph on penalties after a 1-1 draw in Puebla.
Upcoming lineups are expected shortly; however, Belgium’s preparations have been marred by a dispute with Sporting over Zeno Debast’s fitness. The center-back was on the bench for the first time this World Cup against the USA after recovering from injury. His club maintains he is not fit to play, while the Belgian FA stated, “this assessment differs from that of the Red Devils’ medical staff” Belgium seems to have conceded to Sporting’s demands, with the FA confirming he will not participate in this quarter-final.
As previously mentioned, a formidable France team awaits the winners of this match following their convincing victory over a subdued Morocco in Boston yesterday.
Jonathan Wilson, who was there, remarked:
“The better the quality of the opponent, the more clinical you have to be,”
Raphaël Jucobin also provided insights:
“In his pre-match press conference, Deschamps conceded that his team could still improve in front of goal. ‘The better the quality of the opponent, the more clinical you have to be,’ he underlined. As Les Bleus prepare to leave the east coast for the first time since their arrival in the US for their semi-final in Dallas, there is a sense that they will be leaving the comfort zone they have established both on and off the pitch.”
Welcome to the second quarter-final of the 2026 World Cup. After overcoming the USA (and various challenges) in the last 16, Belgium’s golden generation must now confront the formidable force of this tournament. Spain has yet to concede a goal after five matches and has not progressed this far in the World Cup since their triumph in 2010.
While the World Cup experience of Thibaut Courtois, Kevin De Bruyne, and Romelu Lukaku is unquestioned—they defeated Brazil in their last quarter-final—Lamine Yamal’s true emergence on this stage remains to be seen. The Barcelona winger, who turns 19 on Monday, has tallied one goal and no assists thus far in the tournament, making him one of the few world superstars yet to make an impact. Could today mark a turning point for him?
The victor of this encounter will face France next Tuesday in the semi-finals in Dallas. Kick-off in Los Angeles is set for midday local time, 8 PM BST, and 5 AM AEST. Feel free to reach out via email. Let’s go.
