You couldn’t write a better script for a substitute. Mikel Merino stepped onto the field, didn’t even break a sweat yet, and scored the goal that knocked Belgium out of the World Cup. That’s not hyperbole — it was literally his first touch of the game. The ball fell to him in the box after backup keeper Senne Lammens spilled a long-range shot from Pau Cubarsi, and Merino just nodded it into an open net. Spain wins 2-1, and now they get France in the semis.
The quarterfinal at Los Angeles Stadium had all the tension you’d expect from a knockout game between two European heavyweights. Spain opened the scoring early with some genuinely pretty stuff. Lamine Yamal and Pedro Porro played a slick one-two that left Jeremy Doku flat-footed on the right wing. Porro’s cross found Dani Olmo in the box, his shot was saved by Thibaut Courtois, but the rebound sat up perfectly for Fabian Ruiz to tap in. That’s the kind of goal that makes you appreciate how Spain moves the ball — quick, decisive, and always looking for that extra pass.
Belgium didn’t fold though. Right before halftime, Timothy Castagne whipped a cross from the right and Charles De Ketelaere showed real strength to hold off Cubarsi and head it past Unai Simon. It was a solid, old-school center forward’s goal, and it got Belgium right back in the game. De Ketelaere still doesn’t look completely natural leading the line, but he took that chance well.
The second half was more cagey. Belgium had built a reputation this tournament for creating chances off the bench — nine goal involvements from subs coming into this game — but it was Spain’s sub who decided it. Courtois went down with a thigh injury early in the second half, Lammens came on, and the backup keeper just couldn’t hold Cubarsi’s shot. Merino was right there. One touch, one goal, and the kind of moment that gets you remembered as a cult hero.
Courtois had actually been playing well before he got hurt. Denied Yamal once, had a couple sharp saves. But his replacement couldn’t match that level. It’s harsh to pin the loss on Lammens, but that spill changed everything.
As for the rest of the ratings? Porro was a menace all night, both defending Doku and getting forward. Fabian Ruiz earned his 8 with the goal and a steady presence in midfield. Rodri did his usual thing — covering for Yamal’s defensive laziness, pinging passes, almost scoring himself. Yamal was a nightmare for Maxim De Cuyper, constantly twisting him up on the wing.
For Belgium, Doku was lively as always. He won his share of one-on-one battles against Porro, but the one time he got caught napping on that give-and-go, it cost his team. Kevin De Bruyne had flashes but never really took over the game. Belgium needed more from him and didn’t get it.
Now Spain gets France in a semifinal that feels like it should be the final. Two of the best teams in the world, both with serious talent, both with something to prove. That game should be a banger. Belgium goes home wondering if this was their last real shot with this core. It might have been.
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