Mikel Merino lifts Spain over Belgium, setting up World Cup showdown with France – Fri, 10 Jul 2026 PST

INGLEWOOD, Calif. — Belgium became the first team to beat Spanish goalie Unai Simón on Friday. But they couldn’t beat his team, with second-half substitute Mikel Merino scoring in the 88th minute to lift Spain to a 2-1 victory in a World Cup quarterfinal before a sold-out crowd at SoFi Stadium.