Spain to face Belgium in World Cup quarterfinal match on Friday

Spain and Belgium Set for Quarterfinal Clash in Los Angeles

The FIFA World Cup 2026 quarterfinal matchup between Spain and Belgium is scheduled to take place at the Los Angeles Stadium in California on Friday at noon (19:00 GMT). The two teams will be vying for a spot in the semifinals, with Spain aiming to reach the tournament’s final for the first time since 2010.

Spain has been one of the favorites to win the World Cup, thanks to their robust defense and possession-based football. They have kept six consecutive clean sheets, a record achieved by defeating Portugal on Monday. Belgium, on the other hand, has had a roller-coaster knockout campaign in North America, with wins over New Zealand, Senegal, and the USA.

Belgium’s goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois believes that his team can pull off an upset against Spain, citing their strong squad and qualities that will be taken into account by the Spanish team. “Everyone on our team realises it’s possible,” he said. “There are always surprises, and I think we can be one of them.”

The two teams have different rankings in the FIFA world rankings, with Spain third and Belgium eighth. However, Courtois notes that there is a gap in quality between the two teams.

Spain has topped Group H with seven points, beating Saudi Arabia and Uruguay and drawing with Cape Verde. They began their knockout campaign with a 3-0 thrashing of Austria in the round of 32 before beating Portugal 1-0. Belgium, on the other hand, has won against New Zealand, drawn with Iran and Egypt, and defeated Senegal 3-2 in extra time.

The match will be broadcast live on Al Jazeera Sport at 15:30 GMT, followed by a live text commentary stream.

Source: Al Jazeera