Belgium’s World Cup journey ends in quarter-finals against Spain

By Arjun Nair / 11.07.2026

By Arjun Nair — 11 July 2026 — 3 min read

Belgium’s campaign concludes

Belgium exited the World Cup in the quarter-finals after a defeat to Spain, marking the end of their tournament run. The match saw a determined effort from Rudi Garcia‘s squad, particularly from their experienced players, despite facing several challenges.

The team’s preparation was hampered by injuries even before kick-off. Amadou Onana was ruled out of the tournament due to a torn anterior cruciate ligament sustained in the previous round against the USA. Additionally, Zeno Debast was sidelined with a leg injury that kept him out for the competition. Further complicating matters, Youri Tielemans, who had been a consistent performer, suffered an injury during the warm-up on Friday and was replaced in the starting lineup by Hans Vanaken.

Despite these setbacks, Belgium showed resilience. Jérémy Doku, returning to the lineup, displayed a more energetic performance than in earlier group stage matches. He found opportunities against Pedro Porro, creating space and drawing Spain‘s midfield out of position. However, his attacking focus left him vulnerable defensively, contributing to Spain‘s opening goal from Fábian Ruiz after Porro delivered a cross.

Veterans lead the fight

Belgium managed to equalise through Charles De Ketelaere in the 39th minute. After training with Romelu Lukaku, De Ketelaere showcased an improved approach. A pass from Kevin De Bruyne to Timothy Castagne led to a cross, which De Ketelaere headed past Pau Cabarsí for Belgium‘s first shot on target.

The team continued to press, leveraging Doku‘s dribbling to open up space for teammates like Maxim De Cuyper. A potential second goal nearly materialised from a give-and-go between Doku and De Bruyne, but a deflected shot was not converted by De Cuyper.

Garcia made a triple substitution, bringing on Lukaku, Axel Witsel, and moving De Ketelaere wide, replacing Leandro Trossard. This meant all four veterans from the 2014 World Cup squad were on the field for the final half-hour, demonstrating the team’s commitment to fighting until the end.

The match took a critical turn with the injury to goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois. After making a falling save, he was seen massaging his left hip. Despite attempting to continue, he was forced to exit the game in the 71st minute due to a muscle injury, clutching his thigh. Courtois, visibly emotional, was replaced by Senne Lammens. Garcia noted that the decision was made to prevent the injury from worsening, acknowledging the impact of losing such a key player.

Late drama seals Belgium’s fate

With Courtois off the field, Spain capitalised. In the 88th minute, Pau Cubarsí took a shot from outside the box that Lammens could not secure. The ball spilled into the box, and Mikel Merino was quickest to react, scoring to put Spain ahead 2-1 and sending them into the semi-finals against France.

De Bruyne also faced fitness issues, leaving the field after an 80th-minute lob and later receiving a yellow card for a challenge on Ferran Torres. Garcia used his final substitution to replace De Bruyne to prevent further exploitation of his condition.

This tournament marked a valiant effort from Belgium‘s experienced players. While Courtois might participate in a future World Cup as an elder statesman, this competition is likely the last for several members of this generation of talent. The team’s performance against the European champions showcased their resolve, even if the outcome did not dispel past criticisms regarding underperformance in previous tournaments.

Source: theguardian.com