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Rabat – A spot in the 2026 FIFA World Cup semifinals is on the line today as European heavyweights Spain and Belgium prepare to collide in a highly anticipated quarter-final showdown.
The high-stakes fixture will take place this Friday at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles, with kickoff scheduled for 8.00 PM Moroccan time.
Football fans in Spain can follow the action live on RTVE (La 1), while RTBF and VRT will provide coverage across Belgium. Meanwhile, viewers in Morocco and the broader MENA region can catch the exclusive broadcast on beIN Sports.
Both teams have had completely different paths to this stage. Spain has had a perfect run, racking up four straight wins without conceding a single goal. Meanwhile, Belgium has had a much tougher path, winning just once in the group stage before fighting back to eliminate Senegal.
Belgium team news
Belgium won Group G with five points. Domenico Tedesco’s side opened with a 1-1 draw against Egypt and a 0-0 stalemate with Iran before wrapping up the group stage with a dominant 5-1 win over New Zealand.
Belgium stepped up in the Round of 16 to beat the USA 4–1 in a highly charged match. However, they will need another massive performance to beat Spain, who are heavily favored to win on Friday.
With Amadou Onana out after suffering a painful ACL injury in the last round, Belgium is forced to reshuffle its midfield.
Manager Domenico Tedesco might bring Kevin De Bruyne back into the attacking midfield role, moving Youri Tielemans deeper to partner either Nicolas Raskin or Hans Vanaken.
For the Red Devils, this tournament represents a crucial chance for redemption on the big stage. The current squad is desperate to move past the ghosts of recent tournaments and prove they can still compete at the highest level.
Although Belgium finished third at the 2018 World Cup, they faced a bitter exit four years later in Qatar, where a 2-0 group-stage loss to Morocco knocked them out early.
Likely XI: Courtois; Castagne, Ngoy, Mechele, De Cuyper; Tielemans, Vanaken; Trossard, De Bruyne, Doku; De Ketelaere.
Spain team news
Spain secured the top spot in Group H, earning seven points from two victories and one draw.
La Roja started the tournament with a 0-0 draw against Cape Verde before cruising past Saudi Arabia 4-0 and edging Uruguay 1-0.
After defeating Austria 3-0 in the Round of 32, Spain edged out Portugal 1-0 in the Last 16 thanks to a late stoppage-time goal from Mikel Merino.
Spain has struggled at the World Cup since winning it all in 2010. They went home in the group stage in 2014 and were knocked out in the Round of 16 at the last two tournaments.
Under manager Luis de la Fuente, Spain has reached a new level by winning Euro 2024, but lifting a second World Cup trophy would be an even greater achievement as their tournament dream moves within reach.
Likely XI: Simón; Porro, Cubarsí, Laporte, Cucurella; Rodri, Pedri; Yamal, Olmo, Baena; Oyarzabal.
While Belgium will fight hard, Spain enters this match as the clear favorites. Luis de la Fuente’s side has been the stronger team all summer, and they should comfortably book their place in the semi-finals.
MWN’s verdict: Spain 3 – 1 Belgium
