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FIFA World Cup 2026 Live: Courtois expects a Belgian upset in LA
There may be only five places separating Spain (3rd) and Belgium (8th) in the FIFA world rankings, but on paper, the gap in momentum feels much wider. Luis de la Fuente’s La Roja are currently riding an incredible 35-match unbeaten streak, moving away from being mere "promising" European champions to a side that exerts complete, confident control over anyone they face.
Historically, Belgium have struggled to match that elite tournament pedigree, bowing out in the group stage at Qatar 2022 and crashing out in the Round of 16 at Euro 2024. Yet, Belgian goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois—who knows Spanish football inside out from his time with Real Madrid—believes the Red Devils are peaking at the perfect time after a statement performance and a gritty extra-time comeback win in their last two matches.
"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 ahead of kickoff. "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."
Spain Vs Belgium Live: Lineups are in: Big guns return for Belgium, Ruiz steps in for Spain
The official team sheets are out in Los Angeles, and there are some massive talking points for both sides.
Spain: Coach Luis de la Fuente makes just a single tweak to the side that dispatched Portugal. Fabián Ruiz slots into the midfield trio, replacing Pedri.
Belgium: Huge boosts for the Red Devils. Maestro Kevin De Bruyne returns to skipper the side after sitting out the USA match, filling in for Amadou Onana (who sadly suffered an ACL injury). Pace ace Jérémy Doku also gets the nod over Dodi Lukébakio on the wing.
Confirmed Starting XI:
SPAIN (4-2-3-1): Unai Simón; Pedro Porro, Pau Cubarsí, Aymeric Laporte, Marc Cucurella; Rodri, Fabián Ruiz; Lamine Yamal, Dani Olmo, Álex Baena; Mikel Oyarzabal.
BELGIUM (4-2-3-1): Thibaut Courtois; Timothy Castagne, Joel Ngoy, Brandon Mechele, Maxim De Cuyper; Youri Tielemans, Nicolas Raskin; Leandro Trossard, Kevin De Bruyne, Jérémy Doku; Charles De Ketelaere.
Referee: Michael Oliver (England)
Spain Vs Belgium Live: "Everyone expects us to go home" — Garcia fires up his red devils
Rudi Garcia has heard every prediction. He has read every headline. He knows what the world thinks is going to happen tonight in Los Angeles. And he is using every single word as fuel.
"We know we are playing one of the favourites. Spain are probably the best at ball possession and they have been playing in a recognizable way for 15 or 20 years. But we have a great team. We are the second-highest scorers in the World Cup and we are facing the team with the highest expected goals," Garcia said.
Lukaku echoed his manager's defiance. "If you get this far, you don't play just to go home," the 33-year-old said. "Spain are an excellent team. They look for the third man, they have speed on the sides and they provide depth. But we are well prepared and we have assets that can make life difficult for them."
De la Fuente, meanwhile, used a line straight from the Roman emperor Marcus Aurelius to describe his own team's philosophy tonight: "What is bad for the hive is also bad for the bee."
Two coaches. Two philosophies. One semi-final spot in Dallas on the line. Follow every moment on Spain vs Belgium Live Score!
FIFA World Cup 2026 Live: Forty years on, Belgium want to repeat their 1986 miracle
Tonight's quarter-final is dripping with history and Belgium know exactly what it means.
Forty years ago at Mexico 1986, Belgium and Spain met in this exact same stage of this exact same competition. Belgium won 5-4 on penalties after a 1-1 draw. That result remains one of the most famous moments in Belgian football history. Tonight, in Los Angeles, they get the chance to do it all over again.
Belgium coach Rudi Garcia appeared to relish being dubbed the underdog ahead of tonight's clash. "Everyone is already talking about us going home," he said at his pre-match press conference. He is not wrong — the Opta supercomputer gives Spain a 52 percent chance of winning in normal time, while Belgium are given just 20 percent.
But Garcia's team have already beaten the odds at this tournament. They came back from 2-0 down against Senegal in extra time in the round of 32. They demolished the USA 4-1 in the round of 16 without three of their biggest names starting. Belgium do not do things the easy way but they do get the job done.
History and belief are on Belgium's side tonight. Follow every moment on Spain vs Belgium Live Score!
FIFA World Cup Quarter Finals Live: Yamal vs De Bruyne - the world cup's most mouth-watering generational duel
On one side, an 18-year-old who has not yet hit his peak. On the other, a 34-year-old who may never get this chance again.
Lamine Yamal versus Kevin De Bruyne. The most fascinating individual storyline at the 2026 World Cup quarter-final stage plays out tonight in Los Angeles and it could decide who reaches the semi-finals.
Yamal, who has one goal and one assist so far, has not yet hit the heights he is truly capable of. De la Fuente has been clear about this. "We know that the best version of him, the attacking Lamine, is something that we haven't quite seen yet in this World Cup. Not to the level that we're used to," the Spain coach admitted. But he also offered a warning to Belgium: "Against Portugal was one of his best performances and a very important day for his development. He doesn't need extra motivation, you actually sometimes have to calm his intensity."
De Bruyne, meanwhile, is 34 and playing in his fourth World Cup. He was rested against the USA as a deliberate decision to keep him fresh for tonight. Belgium's attack without him is dangerous. With him? It is elite.
Stay locked in for for every moment on Spain vs Belgium Live Score and FIFA World Cup 2026 Live Score!
Spain Vs Belgium Live: Spain have not conceded in six games but Belgium are the perfect test
Nobody has scored against Spain at this entire World Cup. Not Saudi Arabia. Not Uruguay. Not Austria. Not Portugal. Six games. Zero goals conceded. Goalkeeper Unai Simón has now broken Walter Zenga's 36-year-old record for the most consecutive minutes without conceding at the World Cup.
But tonight, the wall faces its sternest examination yet.
De la Fuente acknowledged the magnitude of what lies ahead. "Tomorrow's game will be the hardest that we've faced to this point. Belgium is a very powerful team. These are players who are used to winning. It's going to be a challenging match. Trust me — we are only thinking about Belgium tomorrow," the Spain coach said.
Belgium are the second-highest scorers at this World Cup with 11 goals across five matches. Charles De Ketelaere's two-goal, one-assist masterclass against the USA was the most dominant individual knockout performance of the entire tournament. Romelu Lukaku has three goals and eight career World Cup strikes — level with Diego Maradona. And now De Bruyne returns.
Spain's unbeaten run. Belgium's firepower. Something has to give in Los Angeles tonight.
Follow every twist on Spain vs Belgium Live Score right here on TOI Sports!
Welcome to TOI Sports' live coverage of the mouth-watering second quarterfinal of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, as European heavyweights Spain and Belgium collide at the spectacular Los Angeles Stadium. The stakes couldn't be higher: a prized ticket to the semifinals in Texas and a blockbuster showdown against Kylian Mbappé’s France, who already sealed their spot after dismantling Morocco.
This clash is billed as a captivating battle of generations. On one side stands Spain, the pre-tournament favorites flying high under Luis de la Fuente. La Roja have been the definition of clinical perfection in North America, executing their trademark possession-based masterclass while boasting a terrifying defensive record: they are yet to concede a single goal in the tournament. Bolstered by the youthful brilliance of Lamine Yamal and the clutch instincts of Round-of-16 hero Mikel Merino, Spain enter tonight's clash on an incredible 36-match unbeaten competitive streak.
On the other side stands Belgium’s battle-hardened 'Golden Generation.' Under Rudi Garcia, the Red Devils overcame a sluggish group stage to set the tournament alight in the Round of 16, ruthlessly dismantling the co-hosts United States 4-1. With Romelu Lukaku finding his lethal touch and Kevin De Bruyne pulling the strings in midfield, Belgium possess the heavy artillery required to crack the immaculate Spanish wall.
History adds another layer of intrigue; this marks the 23rd meeting between these footballing giants and their third at a World Cup—including a legendary 1986 quarterfinal won by Belgium on penalties. With English referee Michael Oliver taking charge, we are primed for an absolute classic in California.
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