Spain vs Belgium: Preview, Team News and Score Prediction as Lamine Yamal and Romelu Lukaku Battle for Semi-Final Spot

Former champions Spain are set to face a resurgent Belgium in a blockbuster World Cup 2026 quarter-final on Friday.

The European powerhouses will meet in Los Angeles, with a coveted semi-final spot against either France or Morocco on the line.

Nearly 16 years after their historic triumph in South Africa, Spain are just three victories away from reclaiming the World Cup trophy.

Luis de la Fuente's squad has been in formidable form this summer, topping Group H before cruising past Austria and then edging out Iberian rivals Portugal in a tense last-16 encounter, where a late Mikel Merino goal proved decisive.

This marks Spain's sixth appearance in a World Cup quarter-final. After four consecutive exits at this stage, they broke the curse by defeating Paraguay en route to their 2010 title.

Defensive solidity has been the cornerstone of their campaign; La Roja are the only team yet to concede a goal at the tournament and have set a new World Cup record with six consecutive clean sheets, a run spanning over 10 hours of play.

Under de la Fuente, the reigning European champions have also won all six of their major knockout matches, making them a daunting opponent.

History also favours Spain, who have won nine of their last 11 meetings with Belgium since a loss at Euro 1980. However, their most recent clash was nearly a decade ago.

Belgium, however, will be looking to write their own history. The Red Devils have advanced from two of their three previous World Cup quarter-finals, notably eliminating Spain at this very stage in 1986.

After an unconvincing group stage, Rudi Garcia's side found their rhythm, securing a dramatic 3-2 victory over Senegal before delivering a stunning 4-1 demolition of co-hosts USA in Seattle.

In a bold move, Garcia benched stars like Kevin De Bruyne and Romelu Lukaku against the USA, a gamble that paid off handsomely. Charles De Ketelaere scored twice, and Lukaku came on to score for the third consecutive game as a substitute.

After the disappointment of a group-stage exit in Qatar 2022, which many saw as the end of their 'golden generation', Belgium are now unbeaten in 18 matches and have their sights firmly set on football's ultimate prize.

Spain's Luis de la Fuente is expected to field a largely unchanged lineup. The primary selection questions revolve around the midfield, with Marcos Llorente, Fabian Ruiz, and last-16 hero Mikel Merino all vying for a starting spot.

Lamine Yamal is set to start on the right wing, while Nico Williams continues to work his way back to full fitness from the bench.

Up front, Mikel Oyarzabal will likely lead the line, boasting an impressive record of 23 goal involvements in his last 17 international starts.

For Belgium, Charles De Ketelaere is anticipated to continue in a 'false nine' role, with Romelu Lukaku, who recently scored his 93rd international goal, again poised to make an impact as a substitute.

Kevin De Bruyne could return to the starting XI after being benched against the USA. A significant blow for the Red Devils is the loss of midfielder Amadou Onana to an ACL injury, opening the door for Hans Vanaken or Nicolas Raskin to step in. The Belgian defence is expected to remain unchanged, with Zeno Debast still sidelined.

Spain Possible Starting Lineup: Simon; Porro, Cubarsi, Laporte, Cucurella; Rodri, Pedri; Yamal, Olmo, Baena; Oyarzabal

Belgium Possible Starting Lineup: Courtois; Castagne, Ngoy, Mechele, De Cuyper; Vanaken, Tielemans; Lukebakio, De Bruyne, Trossard; De Ketelaere

Prediction: Spain 2-1 Belgium