Can Belgium’s roller-coaster campaign continue? Sturdy Spain are up next

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Who: Spain vs Belgium
What: FIFA World Cup ۲۰۲۶ – quarterfinal
Where: Los Angeles Stadium in California, United States
When: Friday at noon (۱۹:۰۰ GMT)
How to follow: We will have all the build-up on Al Jazeera Sport from ۱۵:۳۰ GMT before our live text commentary stream.

After crushing the “American dream” by taking down cohosts USA in a politically influenced encounter, Belgium are gearing up for their next big challenge.

They face the daunting task of tackling Spain, whose robust defence and careful, possession-based football have made them one of the bookmakers’ favourites at the tournament.

Since an unconvincing performance in the first match, Spain have improved with each contest and punched their ticket to the quarterfinals in style.

They are the first team in history to keep six consecutive World Cup clean sheets – a record achieved by taking out Portugal on Monday and ending Cristiano Ronaldo’s last bid for a world title.

Belgium’s knockout campaign in North America has been nothing short of a roller-coaster, and come Friday, it could take another turn if they upset the reigning European champions to reach the semifinals.

Al Jazeera tells you everything about Spain vs Belgium:

How did Spain and Belgium reach the quarterfinals?

Spain topped Group H with seven points, beating Saudi Arabia and Uruguay and drawing with Cape Verde. They began their knockout campaign with a ۳-۰ thrashing of Austria in the round of ۳۲ before beating Portugal ۱-۰ with a late goal in an Iberian football derby in the round of ۱۶.

Belgium topped Group G with five points, winning against New Zealand, and drawing with Iran and Egypt. They defeated Senegal ۳-۲ in extra time in the round of ۳۲ before thrashing the USA ۴-۱ in the last ۱۶ contest that was eclipsed by the bitter row over Folarin Balogun’s red card ban.

Courtois is confident Belgium can take down Spain

There may be only five spots between Spain’s and Belgium’s FIFA rankings with La Roja third and Belgium eighth, but the gap in their quality is quite stark.

Spain, the ۲۰۱۰ world champions, are unbeaten in ۳۵ matches, a run that has turned coach Luis de la Fuente’s side from promising European champions into a team that exert confident control over their opponents.

Historically, Belgium have been far behind their Spanish counterparts, especially at major tournaments, having been knocked out in the group stage at the ۲۰۲۲ World Cup and in the last ۱۶ at Euro ۲۰۲۴.

Yet goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois believes Belgium can pull off an upset after finally beginning to show some form at the tournament with a come-from-behind extra-time win and a statement performance in their last two games.

“Everyone on our team realises it’s possible. I think we have a strong squad with qualities that ⁠Spain will have to take into account,” Courtois told reporters on Wednesday.

“There ⁠are always surprises, and I think we can be one of them. Eliminating the European champions would obviously be a huge upset. The confidence is there.

“People were a bit disappointed in us, but we’ve set that right. We’re getting better and better,” he added about Belgium, whose best finish was third place at the ۲۰۱۸ World Cup.

The World Cup is likely the last hurrah for the remainder of Belgium’s so-called golden generation, including creative midfielder Kevin De Bruyne and striker Romelu Lukaku.

Lukaku is Belgium’s top scorer at the tournament with three goals while Leandro Trossard has made an all-round impact with two goals and two assists. Charles De Ketelaere and Youri Tielemans also have two goals each.

‘Yamal brings so much to the team’: Olmo

Slowly finding his feet in his debut World Cup, the prodigiously gifted Lamine Yamal has not enjoyed the hero’s status he’s often used to.

With one goal in five games, the ۱۸-year-old winger – who came into the World Cup on the back of a hamstring injury – is playing catch-up with Mikel Oyarzabal, Spain’s leading tournament scorer with four goals.

Midfielder Dani Olmo said his Barcelona teammate Yamal is growing into the tournament.

“He brings so much to the team with his dribbling and presence. When he receives the ball, two or three opposing players close in on him, which opens up space,” he said.

“Lamine scores and assists. He’s always done that in his short career, and even when he doesn’t, he’ll keep helping us with the work he’s doing.”

Spain vs Belgium prediction

The Opta supercomputer gives Spain a ۵۹.۳ percent likelihood of winning in regulation time while Belgium’s chances of winning are ۱۸.۳ percent.

The model estimated a ۲۲.۴ percent probability of the game going to extra time.

Kickoff time, TV schedule

• Spain: LA۱, Teledeporte, RTVE Play, DAZN Mundial (۹pm, Central European Summer Time)
• Belgium: VRT Max, Tipik, Auvio, Sportz, VRT (۹pm, Central European Summer Time)
• United Kingdom: STV, STV Player, ITVX, ITV۱ (۸pm, British Summer Time)
• US: FOX, FOX One, Telemundo App, Telemundo Network, Peacock (noon, Pacific Daylight Time; ۳pm, Eastern Daylight Time)

To check the TV listings for your country, head to FIFA’s TV listing schedule here.

Who will the winner face in the semifinals?

The winner of the Spain vs Belgium match will face France in the semifinals on Tuesday in Dallas, Texas. France defeated Morocco ۲-۰ on Thursday to reach the last-four.

Head-to-head

Spain and Belgium have met twice at the World Cup with honours even at one victory apiece.

Their first meeting dates back to ۱۹۸۶ when Belgium beat Spain ۵-۴ on penalties in the quarterfinals. Then they met in the group stage in ۱۹۹۰ with Spain winning ۲-۱.

Friday’s match will be Belgium’s third quarterfinal in four World Cups and fourth overall.

For Spain, the quarterfinals have not often been a happy hunting ground. They have only cleared this stage twice, making it to the final group stage in ۱۹۵۰ and beating Paraguay on their way to lifting the trophy in South Africa in ۲۰۱۰.

Team news

Belgium’s midfielder Amadou Onana will miss the remainder of the World Cup after suffering a torn anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) in his right knee during the last match.

No injuries have been reported in the Spain camp.

Spain’s predicted lineup

(۴-۲-۳-۱): Simon (goalkeeper); Porro, Cubarsi, Laporte, Cucurella; Rodri, Pedri; Yamal, Olmo, Baena; Oyarzabal

Belgium’s predicted lineup

(۴-۳-۳): Courtois (goalkeeper); Castagne, Mechele, Ngoy, De Cuyper; Tielemans, Raskin, Vanaken; Lukebakio, De Ketelaere, Trossard