90+5 min More frustration for Belgium<\/a> as Witsel is late on Rodri on halfway. His studs are up \u2026 it\u2019s just a yellow.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n 90+4 min Laporte goes into the book for Spain<\/a>. Saelemaekers floats the resulting free-kick into the box but Spain get it clear. The European champions allow the game to drift.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n 90+2 min Belgium<\/a> aren\u2019t done yet. Saelemaekers dribbles past an onrushing Sim\u00f3n to the byline inside the Spain box and sticks a cross into the box. Cubars\u00ed hooks it clear with his boot and, with a slice of luck, straight into Sim\u00f3n\u2019s hands.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n 90 min There will be seven minutes of added time for Belgium<\/a> to rescue this.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n It\u2019s really messy from Lammens. Cubars\u00ed\u2019s shot bounces awkwardly in front of him but there\u2019s not a lot of power behind it. Merino, a veritable poacher these days, is there first. The cameras pan to Courtois, slumped on the Belgium<\/a> bench.<\/p>\n Share<\/a>GOAL! Spain 2-1 Belgium (Merino 88)<\/p>\n What an impact! And you have to feel for Lammens, who spills Cubars\u00ed\u2019s long shot and can\u2019t get up in time to prevent Merino tucking it away.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n 86 min Olmo\u2019s afternoon is over and Mikel Merino, the hero of the previous round against Portugal, is on for Spain<\/a>.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n 85 min Rodri clips a ball over Seys into Yamal\u2019s path but he\u2019s unlucky with his control, the ball bouncing off his standing leg, and Lammens comes out to gather. De Bruyne, still soldiering on, tries to lob Sim\u00f3n from about 50 yards. His shot is blocked.<\/p>\n De Bruyne goes into the book for wrestling his former City teammate Torres to the floor and then takes his leave. Alexis Saelemaekers comes on in his place.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n 83 min Spain<\/a> try to shift up a gear. Pedri and Williams are combining with regularity down the left. Rodri is beginning to dominate midfield, with Witsel and Raskin happy to stand off and De Bruyne ready to come off.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n 81 min Williams\u2019 first involvement sees him shift the ball on to his left foot and hook a cross out for a goal-kick. De Bruyne then tries to find Lukaku with a wayward pass and the midfielder hits the deck \u2013 it looks like it\u2019s just cramp. He\u2019s up again.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n 79 min Belgium<\/a> are standing firm for now. Yamal tries to play a one-two with Torres and Ngoy gets a foot in at just the right time.<\/p>\n Here comes Nico Williams, on for Oyarzabal.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n 77 min Pedri switches the ball out to Yamal, who draws a couple of players before slipping Porro in with a backheel. The right-back\u2019s cross is intercepted by Raskin before it reaches Oyarzabal or Olmo.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n 75 min Olmo feeds a cute ball into Oyarzabal between the Belgium<\/a> centre-backs but the striker\u2019s touch lets him down and he\u2019s dispossessed. Again Belgium go long to Lukaku but the ball comes straight back.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n 73 min Lammens has proved that he is more than capable in a very solid first season at Manchester United. Yamal has another go at Seys down the Spain<\/a> right but skews the cross out for a goal-kick.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a016.35 EDT<\/p>\n Courtois forced off injured<\/p>\n 71 min No, Courtois is not fine! Belgium just needed more time to get Senne Lammens ready. The change is made, with Courtois clearly quite tearful at having to come off in what could be his last World Cup<\/a> game.<\/p>\n Belgium’s head coach Rudi Garcia (centre) hugs his keeper Thibaut Courtois. Photograph: Scott Strazzante\/EPACourtois cuts a dejected figure as he sits the bench with an ice pack on his left thigh. Photograph: Carl Recine\/Getty ImagesShare<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a016.41 EDT<\/p>\n 70 min Play has resumed. Belgium<\/a> punt it straight to Lukaku, who nods it down to Doku but there\u2019s a foul by the Manchester City winger. Courtois is fine.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n The longer it stays like this, the more confident Belgium<\/a> will feel.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n 66 min It is tempting to say that Rudi Garcia has shown a lot of faith in 21-year-old Joaqu\u00edn Seys up against Lamine Yamal, but the Spain<\/a> winger is still three years his junior.<\/p>\n Courtois is down with some discomfort in his thigh. The physios come on. Now would be a good time to have a drinks break, Michael. And common sense has prevailed. Time for hydration.<\/p>\n Belgium’s keeper Thibaut Courtois looks to be in a bit of pain. Photograph: Gary Vasquez\/Imagn Images\/ReutersShare<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a016.43 EDT<\/p>\n 64 min There\u2019s a real tempo to this now, with quality on both sides. Seys does excellently to shield the ball out of play when Yamal tries to go past him. You\u2019ll have another half an hour to get through, mate.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n 62 min Seys has come on at left-back and gets a taste of the action straight away as Yamal fronts him up and fizzes a shot at goal that a diving Courtois saves.<\/p>\n A Belgium<\/a> break sees Raskin send a ball into the box. Laporte heads it into Rodri\u2019s arm \u2013 nothing given \u2013 and Belgium appeal for a penalty.<\/p>\n Courtois then saves from Oyarzabal up the other end.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n 60 min Triple change for Belgium<\/a>. Trossard, Vanaken and De Cuyper make way for Lukaku, Witsel and Seys.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n 58 min Yamal sends an inviting cross into the box and Courtois comes out to punch it, superman style.<\/p>\n Rudi Garcia responds to those Spain<\/a> changes. Romelu Lukaku and Axel Witsel are stripped and ready. Yes, that Axel Witsel. He\u2019s 37 now and without a club.<\/p>\n Thibaut Courtois punches the ball clear. Photograph: Alex Pantling\/Fifa\/Getty ImagesShare<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a016.50 EDT<\/p>\n 56 min Pedri and Ferran Torres are on for Spain<\/a>, for goalscorer Fabi\u00e1n Ruiz and Baena.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n 55 min Doku and De Bruyne combine dangerously down the left. Doku\u2019s pull-back is intercepted but the ball falls to De Cuyper, who rifles a shot into the side-netting. Very decent chance, that.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n 53 min The ball drops to Olmo on the edge of the area and he slices his half-volley way over the bar. Pedri and Ferran Torres are limbering up for Spain<\/a>.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n 52 min Spain<\/a> work it patiently out to Yamal, who darts inside again and again before feeding it back to Rodri, who starts the whole process again. This time Yamal swings his foot on the edge of the box and Mechele deflects it out for a corner.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n 50 min Doku wins a corner for Belgium<\/a> after he and Laporte tangle out wide and the latter fails in his attempts to keep the ball in play. Michael Oliver spots a foul by Raskin in the box during De Bruyne\u2019s corner.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n 48 min Sim\u00f3n comes quickly off his line to gather the ball after Doku\u2019s attempted pass through bobbles just out of Trossard\u2019s reach inside the area. Courtois does similarly well coming out to spread himself in front of Yamal, who is played in on goal by Cubars\u00ed. The flag goes up anyway.<\/p>\n Spain’s Lamine Yamal sees his shot saved by Belgium’s keeper Thibaut Courtois. Photograph: Carlos Barr\u00eda\/ReutersShare<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a016.36 EDT<\/p>\n 46 min Spain<\/a> get the game restarted. A reminder: the winners of this one play France.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Spain and Belgium<\/a> are back out in Los Angeles \u2026 but who\u2019s going home?<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Half-time mailbag \u2026<\/p>\n \u201cFeeling just a tad better seeing DeKetelare breaching the impermeable Spain<\/a> defence after flooding our far more porous US defence. But not that much better\u201d \u2013 Dan Weingrod<\/p>\n \u201cThe Bishopric of Li\u00e8ge was the only part of the Low Countries never conquered by the Spanish nor the Dutch. The only two Li\u00e9gois players in the Belgian squad are sitting on the bench, Witsel and Theate. Bring \u2018em on Rudi!\u201d \u2013 Blaise Baquiche<\/p>\n \u201cLots of deserved plaudits for Lamine Yamal but for my money Dani Olmo is the Spanish winning talisman\u201d \u2013 Joshua Reynolds<\/p>\n \u201cHonestly, when Spain scored, I guessed that they\u2019d just hypnotise Belgium<\/a> with their passing & win 1-0. But that\u2019s the first goal they\u2019ve conceded in this entire tournament. All Belgium need to do now is throw Chadli & Fellaini on, just like against Japan in 2018\u201d \u2013 Steven Grundy<\/p>\n In fairness, Belgium were 2-0 down to Japan in 2018. This was not quite that bleak.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n After France v Morocco and Colombia v Switzerland, we were due a good game \u2013 and it looks like we\u2019ve got one. Yes, Spain look more likely to get the next goal and Belgium<\/a> are not doing a great job of keeping Lamine Yamal quiet, but it\u2019s pretty competitive. Belgium have had their moments and have quality in the final third with Doku, Trossard, De Bruyne and De Ketelaere.<\/p>\n Share<\/a>Half-time: Spain 1-1 Belgium<\/p>\n Rudi Garcia will head down the tunnel very pleased with how his Belgium<\/a> team have responded to going behind.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a015.52 EDT<\/p>\n 45+4 min Michael Oliver calls for medical attention right away as Olmo and Oyarzabal bang heads in the middle of the pitch. They\u2019re both OK and Oyarzabal takes issue with the referee\u2019s, well, hasty concern for his welfare.<\/p>\n Referee Michael Oliver calls for medical attention after Spain’s Dani Olmo and Mikel Oyarzabal clash heads. Photograph: Carlos Barr\u00eda\/ReutersShare<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a016.15 EDT<\/p>\n 45+2 min Mechele take drastic action as Olmo threatens to run in behind the Belgium<\/a> defence, hooking the ball out for a corner. A second corner falls to Ruiz, whose shot is blocked. Olmo then intervenes crucially on halfway as Belgium threaten to break.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a015.48 EDT<\/p>\n 45 min Replays show Cucurella was playing De Ketelaere on for the goal as he tried to close down Castagne\u2019s cross. The striker really caught Cubars\u00ed out.<\/p>\n Porro spoons a left-footed shot high and wide. There are five added minutes.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n 43 min Castagne\u2019s cross was excellent but it was De Bruyne who picked the lock for that goal. He fed the ball to the right-back at just the right time as Spain<\/a> were struggling to deal with an overload on that side. De Ketelaere follows up his double against the USA.<\/p>\n Cubars\u00ed goes into the book for tugging on De Bruyne\u2019s shorts while on the ground, hanging on for dear life almost \u2013 Cubars\u00ed and the shorts.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a015.44 EDT<\/p>\n GOAL! Spain 1-1 Belgium (De Ketelaere 41)<\/p>\n Spain\u2019s defence is breached for the first time at this World Cup! After Yamal hits the side-netting, Castagne gets the ball on the right at the other end, sends in a really inviting cross and De Ketelaere beats Cubars\u00ed to it to head it past Sim\u00f3n!<\/p>\n Belgium’s Charles De Ketelaere gets to the ball first \u2026 Photograph: Daniel Cole\/ReutersAnd plants a header past Spain\u2019s keeper Unai Simon to level the score. Photograph: Mark J Terrill\/APCharles De Ketelaere (kneeling) is congratulated by teammate Leandro Trossard (left). Photograph: Christopher Torres\/EPADe Ketelaere (left) and teammates celebrate. Photograph: Marcio J Sanchez\/APShare<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a015.55 EDT<\/p>\n 39 min Some frankly ridiculous one-touch passing from Spain<\/a> in the final third ends with Oyarzabal trying to backheel the ball into Olmo\u2019s path on the edge of the box. It\u2019s snuffed out by that was nice, very nice.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n 37 min Baena tries to bring down a long ball over the Belgium<\/a> defence but does so with his arm. The subsequent shot, saved by Courtois at his near post, matters not at all. It\u2019s a free-kick.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n 36 min Baena dummies the free-kick and it\u2019s Yamal who strikes it, low to the keeper\u2019s side. Courtois gets down to save but pushes it back into the box. When Spain<\/a> work the following corner across the edge of the area, Olmo runs straight into Michael Oliver, who looks very embarrassed indeed.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n 34 min Yamal teases De Cuyper and Doku, trying to draw a challenge as he sneaks into the area. The ball is recycled and a deeper Yamal skips past Doku again, this time winning a free-kick on the edge of the box in a very inviting position.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n 32 min The game is stopped as Castagne catches one in the face, I think off Cucurella who was challenging an aerial ball with Vanaken. There\u2019s blood \u2013 he\u2019ll probably have to change his shirt. The game goes on without him.<\/p>\n Share<\/a>GOAL! Spain 1-0 Belgium (Ruiz 30)<\/p>\n Fabi\u00e1n Ruiz, the man who came into the side today, gives Spain<\/a> the lead! Porro plays a one-two with Yamal, sends a low ball into the box that Olmo strikes first-time. Courtois gets down well to stop it but Ruiz is there to scramble it home.<\/p>\n Spain’s Fabian Ruiz prepares to shoot \u2026 Photograph: Hannah McKay\/ReutersStrikes the ball goalwards \u2026 Photograph: Mark J Terrill\/APAnd past Belgium\u2019s keeper Thibaut Courtois to give Spain the lead. Photograph: Hannah McKay\/ReutersWhich he\u2019s quite happy about. Photograph: Andr\u00e9 Penner\/APShare<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a015.45 EDT<\/p>\n 28 min It\u2019s a scrappy restart to the game as Doku and De Bruyne threaten to combine down the Belgium<\/a> left until Porro intervenes. Yamal uses the outside of his boot to stick a ball into the box \u2026 and into the gloves of Courtois.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n After a bit of Shakira blasted over the loudspeakers, we are back under way.<\/p>\n
![\"Jeff](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/1783717151_302_Jeff_Rueter,_L.png\")
Jeff Rueter<\/p>\n