Substitute Mikel Merino turned in an 88th-minute winner at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, Los Angeles, on Friday, and Spain beat Belgium 2-1 in the World Cup quarter-final to reach the semi-finals 1. Merino forced the ball home after substitute goalkeeper Senne Lammens spilled a Pau Cubarsí shot into his path 2. Fabián Ruiz had opened the scoring in the 30th minute, turning in a rebound after Belgium's Thibaut Courtois parried a Dani Olmo shot; Charles De Ketelaere levelled for Belgium six minutes before half-time.
Spain now know this script. They had beaten Austria in the last 32 before edging Portugal in the round of 16 , where Merino also settled the tie off the bench with a 91st-minute goal. Twice in four days a Spain substitute has decided a knockout match in its closing moments. Merino is a box-arriving midfielder, not a striker, which is why he keeps finding space late: tiring centre-backs track forwards and No. 9s, not a runner breaking from deep.
Belgium leave as the only side to score against Spain across the whole tournament 3. They had reached the last eight by eliminating the United States, the tournament's final host . Their captain is also their goalkeeper, and Courtois went off with a left-thigh injury in the 71st minute before Lammens spilled the shot that ended their run 17 minutes later. Coach Rudi Garcia cited the goalkeeper loss and an enforced Kevin De Bruyne substitution after the defeat 4. They had matched Spain for an hour.
Spain reach their first World Cup semi-final since they won the tournament in South Africa sixteen years ago. A side long counted among the favourites has not stood this close to a final since Johannesburg, and it arrives there grinding out narrow wins rather than dominating.
