Late attack sends Spain through as Belgium's resistance finally cracks (Souces X)
New Delhi: Spain kept their FIFA World Cup 2026 campaign alive with a hard-fought 2-1 win over Belgium in the early hours of Saturday, needing a goal deep into stoppage time to finally break down a stubborn Belgian defence.
From the opening whistle, the contest had a familiar shape. Spain controlled the ball for long stretches, finishing the match with 68 per cent possession against Belgium's 32, and peppered the Belgian goal with 18 shots to Belgium's five. But for large parts of the night, that dominance didn't translate into a comfortable scoreline, as Thibaut Courtois and a well-organised backline kept finding ways to survive the pressure.
Also Read: ‘We Still Have a Lot to Prove’: Mbappe after France reach FIFA World Cup 2026 semi-finals
Spain broke the deadlock in the 30th minute, converting one of their many chances to go 1-0 up and giving their possession-heavy approach the reward it deserved. Belgium, though, weren't done for the half. Just before the break, in the 41st minute, they found an equaliser to send the sides in level at 1-1 — a sucker-punch that would have stung Spain given how much of the ball they'd had.
The breakthrough finally came in the 88th minute, with Spain finding a second goal to snatch the lead right when it looked like the match might be heading into extra time. The strike sparked chaotic final moments — three yellow cards were shown in the last two minutes of the match alone, as tempers and tension both ran high with a place in the next round on the line. Belgium couldn't find an answer, and Spain held on through stoppage time to seal a 2-1 win.
Also Read: Morocco Is Our Opponent, Not The Referee: France coach on FIFA’s all-Argentine officials
Spain's dominance was clear across the stat sheet — 18 total shots to Belgium's 5, eight shots on target compared to Belgium's two, and five corners to Belgium's solitary one. Courtois, however, made his presence felt at the other end, pulling off six saves to keep his side in the contest for as long as he did. Both teams picked up two yellow cards apiece over the course of a physical, high-stakes encounter, with 13 fouls from Spain and 18 from a more combative Belgian side.
With the win, Spain move a step closer to the latter stages of the tournament, while Belgium's World Cup run comes to a close on a night where they gave a heavily favoured opponent every bit of a fight. Attention now turns to the rest of the weekend's fixtures, with Norway taking on England and Argentina facing Switzerland in the coming days as the tournament's business end draws closer.
