World Cup Live Updates

LIVE NOW: Spain vs. Belgium

(Bild: AFP/ETIENNE LAURENT)

World Cup quarterfinals: European champion Spain faces Belgium; we’re covering the match live—see the live updates below. Current score: 0–0.

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Spain’s quest for a second World Cup title faces a challenge from the up-and-coming Belgians in the quarterfinals. To knock the European champions out in Inglewood, near Los Angeles, the “Red Devils” must break the Iberians’ impressive clean sheet streak. Goalkeeper Unai Simon has gone 609 minutes without conceding a goal at World Cups—a record streak. Thanks to five shutouts, Spain’s lack of scoring hasn’t been a major issue so far.

Unai Simon(Bild: GEPA)

The “Roja” has scored more than one goal only in the round of 32 against Austria (3–0) and, before that, against Saudi Arabia (4–0). Spain has scored just nine goals in total at this World Cup. Nearly half of those goals have been scored by Mikel Oyarzabal (4). Young star Lamine Yamal has scored once so far, while his natural counterpart on the left wing, Nico Williams, has not yet been able to start a match due to injury.

Parallels to 2010 for the “Roja”
Controlling the game is the credo of national team coach Luis de la Fuente’s squad. A parallel emerges with the 2010 World Cup: Back then, too, Spain was defensively impenetrable on its way to the title. They recorded four consecutive 1-0 victories in the knockout stage on their way to the title. Spain’s strength does not lie in having a match-winner like Kylian Mbappé or Erling Haaland in their ranks. When they won the European Championship two years ago, ten players scored a total of 15 goals.

  Spain enters the quarterfinals as the favorite. For De la Fuente, this is meaningless. “Every opponent you face at this stage deserves to be there. It will be an even greater challenge that we must rise to.” Spain has been undefeated in 35 international matches since March 2024, including both regulation time and extra time. The only loss came in the 2025 Nations League final, which was decided by a penalty shootout against Portugal. “Staying undefeated for 35 games wasn’t a goal we had set for ourselves. The goal is to win every game,” said forward Dani Olmo.

Belgians Hope for Further Improvement
Nevertheless, a long-time Belgian player based in Spain struck an optimistic note from the Belgian camp. “Everyone on our team believes it’s possible. We have qualities that Spain has to take into account,” said goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois. “There are always surprises—in the Champions League, the Europa League, and even at a World Cup.” The Real Madrid goalkeeper recalled the 2018 World Cup, when Belgium beat Brazil 2–1 in the quarterfinals. “They were the favorites, too.”

Thibaut Courtois(Bild: EPA/STEPHEN BRASHEAR)

Belgium advanced to a World Cup semifinal for the first time in 32 years. Eight years later, they aim to repeat that feat. Rudi Garcia’s team, however, got off to a slow start in the tournament. It wasn’t until a 5-1 win over New Zealand that they secured a spot in the knockout stage. There, the team faced elimination against Senegal. However, the Belgians turned a 0–2 deficit into a 3–2 victory in extra time. They then sent the U.S. packing with a decisive 4–1 win in a Round of 16 match that was emotionally charged due to the Balogun incident.

“People were a little disappointed, but we’ve smoothed things over. We’re getting better and better,” said Courtois. He is now the only regular from Belgium’s “Golden Generation” who still has a guaranteed spot in the starting lineup. Kevin de Bruyne was on the bench against the U.S., while Romelu Lukaku came on again in the closing minutes. The powerhouse striker has proven himself in this role. Lukaku has already scored three times in a row as a “super sub.”