Spain vs Belgium: World Cup quarterfinal – prediction, start time, lineups

Three wins to go. How tin your squad scope the last and triumph World Cup 2026? Click here to find out.

Who: Spain vs Belgium
What: FIFA World Cup 2026 – quarterfinal
Where: Los Angeles Stadium successful California, United States
When: Friday astatine noon (19:00 GMT)
How to follow: We volition person each the build-up on Al Jazeera Sport from 15:30 GMT earlier our unrecorded substance commentary stream.

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

They look the daunting task of tackling Spain, whose robust defence and careful, possession-based shot person made them 1 of the bookmakers’ favourites astatine the tournament.

Since an unconvincing show successful the archetypal match, Spain person improved with each contention and punched their summons to the quarterfinals successful style.

They are the archetypal squad successful past to support six consecutive World Cup cleanable sheets – a grounds achieved by taking retired Portugal connected Monday and ending Cristiano Ronaldo’s last bid for a satellite title.

Belgium’s knockout run successful North America has been thing abbreviated of a roller-coaster, and travel Friday, it could instrumentality different crook if they upset the reigning European champions to scope the semifinals.

Al Jazeera tells you everything astir Spain vs Belgium:

How did Spain and Belgium scope the quarterfinals?

Spain topped Group H with 7 points, beating Saudi Arabia and Uruguay and drafting with Cape Verde. They began their knockout run with a 3-0 thrashing of Austria successful the circular of 32 earlier beating Portugal 1-0 with a precocious extremity successful an Iberian shot derby successful the circular of 16.

Belgium topped Group G with 5 points, winning against New Zealand, and drafting with Iran and Egypt. They defeated Senegal 3-2 successful other clip successful the circular of 32 earlier thrashing the USA 4-1 successful the past 16 contention that was eclipsed by the bitter enactment implicit Folarin Balogun’s reddish paper ban.

Courtois is assured Belgium tin instrumentality down Spain

There whitethorn beryllium lone 5 spots betwixt Spain’s and Belgium’s FIFA rankings with La Roja 3rd and Belgium eighth, but the spread successful their prime is rather stark.

Spain, the 2010 satellite champions, are unbeaten successful 35 matches, a tally that has turned manager Luis de la Fuente’s broadside from promising European champions into a squad that exert assured power implicit their opponents.

Historically, Belgium person been acold down their Spanish counterparts, particularly astatine large tournaments, having been knocked retired successful the radical signifier astatine the 2022 World Cup and successful the past 16 astatine Euro 2024.

Yet goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois believes Belgium tin propulsion disconnected an upset aft yet opening to amusement immoderate signifier astatine the tourney with a come-from-behind extra-time triumph and a connection show successful their past 2 games.

“Everyone connected our squad realises it’s possible. I deliberation we person a beardown squad with qualities that ⁠Spain volition person to instrumentality into account,” Courtois told reporters connected Wednesday.

“There ⁠are ever surprises, and I deliberation we tin beryllium 1 of them. Eliminating the European champions would evidently beryllium a immense upset. The assurance is there.

“People were a spot disappointed successful us, but we’ve acceptable that right. We’re getting amended and better,” helium added astir Belgium, whose champion decorativeness was 3rd spot astatine the 2018 World Cup.

The World Cup is apt the past hurrah for the remainder of Belgium’s alleged aureate generation, including originative midfielder Kevin De Bruyne and striker Romelu Lukaku.

Lukaku is Belgium’s apical scorer astatine the tourney with 3 goals portion Leandro Trossard has made an all-round interaction with 2 goals and 2 assists. Charles De Ketelaere and Youri Tielemans besides person 2 goals each.

‘Yamal brings truthful overmuch to the team’: Olmo

Slowly uncovering his feet successful his debut World Cup, the prodigiously talented Lamine Yamal has not enjoyed the hero’s presumption he’s often utilized to.

With 1 extremity successful 5 games, the 18-year-old winger – who came into the World Cup connected the backmost of a hamstring wounded – is playing catch-up with Mikel Oyarzabal, Spain’s starring tourney scorer with 4 goals.

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

“He brings truthful overmuch to the squad with his dribbling and presence. When helium receives the ball, 2 oregon 3 opposing players adjacent successful connected him, which opens up space,” helium said.

“Lamine scores and assists. He’s ever done that successful his abbreviated career, and adjacent erstwhile helium doesn’t, he’ll support helping america with the enactment he’s doing.”

Spain guardant Lamine Yamal is playing astatine his maiden World Cup [Etienne Laurent/AFP]

Spain vs Belgium prediction

The Opta supercomputer gives Spain a 59.3 percent likelihood of winning successful regularisation clip portion Belgium’s chances of winning are 18.3 percent.

The exemplary estimated a 22.4 percent probability of the crippled going to other time.

Kickoff time, TV schedule

• Spain: LA1, Teledeporte, RTVE Play, DAZN Mundial (9pm, Central European Summer Time)
• Belgium: VRT Max, Tipik, Auvio, Sportz, VRT (9pm, Central European Summer Time)
• United Kingdom: STV, STV Player, ITVX, ITV1 (8pm, British Summer Time)
• US: FOX, FOX One, Telemundo App, Telemundo Network, Peacock (noon, Pacific Daylight Time; 3pm, Eastern Daylight Time)

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

Who volition the victor look successful the semifinals?

The victor of the Spain vs Belgium lucifer volition look France successful the semifinals connected Tuesday successful Dallas, Texas. France defeated Morocco 2-0 connected Thursday to scope the last-four.

Head-to-head

Spain and Belgium person met doubly astatine the World Cup with honours adjacent astatine 1 triumph apiece.

Their archetypal gathering dates backmost to 1986 erstwhile Belgium bushed Spain 5-4 connected penalties successful the quarterfinals. Then they met successful the radical signifier successful 1990 with Spain winning 2-1.

Friday’s lucifer volition beryllium Belgium’s 3rd quarterfinal successful 4 World Cups and 4th overall.

For Spain, the quarterfinals person not often been a blessed hunting ground. They person lone cleared this signifier twice, making it to the last radical signifier successful 1950 and beating Paraguay connected their mode to lifting the trophy successful South Africa successful 2010.

Team news

Belgium’s midfielder Amadou Onana volition miss the remainder of the World Cup aft suffering a torn anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) successful his close genu during the past match.

No injuries person been reported successful the Spain camp.

Spain’s predicted lineup

(4-2-3-1): Simon (goalkeeper); Porro, Cubarsi, Laporte, Cucurella; Rodri, Pedri; Yamal, Olmo, Baena; Oyarzabal

Belgium’s predicted lineup

(4-3-3): Courtois (goalkeeper); Castagne, Mechele, Ngoy, De Cuyper; Tielemans, Raskin, Vanaken; Lukebakio, De Ketelaere, Trossard