Match details
Spain
World CupWhy this tip?
Clearly and justifiably favored to advance past Belgium into the semi-final round are Spain. Although Kevin De Bruyne and Romelu Lukaku individually possess enough star power to temporarily unsettle Spain, Belgium’s inability to defend against prolonged attacks by opposition makes it unlikely that they would be able to withstand Spain’s elite passing circles.
This is an interesting match up. Both teams started off slow then picked up pace. Spain first drew against Cape Verde while Belgium begun with two draws. One versus Egypt and another against Iran.
Friday, 10th July 2026, the quarter finals between Spain and Belgium will be hosted at the Los Angeles Stadium. Kick-off will be at precisely 10:00 pm (Kenya time). Optimism is currently surrounding Spain due to their dramatic 1-0 win over Portugal in the round of 16. This was thanks to a last minute Mikel Merino winner that ultimately shattered Ronaldo’s dreams to one last World Cup win.
Belgium were able to enjoy a much easier, as well as explosive 4-1 thrashing of the co-hosts of the world cup, the United States.
- Competition: FIFA World Cup 2026
- Matchday: Quarter-finals
- Date: Friday, July 10, 2026
- Kick-off time in EAT: 22:00
- Venue: Los Angeles Stadium (SoFi Stadium)
Why this match matters
Although Spain plays a low risk, possession based style of football they are capable of having low scoring games. Belgium have shown a high degree of vulnerability defensively through-out their explosive knockout rounds.
Spain vs Belgium head-to-head stats
Previous meetings
- Belgium vs Spain 0:2
- Spain vs Belgium 5:0
- Belgium vs Spain 1:2
- Belgium vs Spain 0:2
- Spain vs Belgium 2:0
Head-to-head record
Spain and Belgium meet again for the third time in the same world cup competition. Their most famous encounter occurred nearly 40 years ago in the quarter finals of the 1986 world cup where Belgium won through penalties after the two teams were tied 1-1 at the end of normal time.
The two teams had previously met in group stage action of the 1990 world cup in Italy, where Spain avenged their loss from 20 years earlier to beat Belgium 2-1 in order to be crowned top of group b.
Historically, Spain has dominated their head to head record.
Spain recent form
Spain’s last five matches
- Portugal vs Spain 0:1
- Spain vs Austria 3:0
- Spain vs Uruguay 1:0
- Spain vs Saudi Arabia 4:0
- Cabo Verde vs Spain 0:0
Goals scored and conceded
Following a completely unexpected goalless stalemate with Cape Verde in their opener, Spain found their shooting boots just three days later by ripping apart Saudi Arabia 4-0 and squeezing past uruguay 1-0, with a great deal of credit due to their back line led by Manchester City’s Rodri who helped them achieve four clean sheets in five matches thus far.
Key trends from recent matches
There is another area where Spain bettors tend to see consistent patterns, specifically how much they rely on wide play via talented young players such as Lamine Yamal and Nico Williams. As a result, Spain consistently gains a large amount of corner kicks because their opponents sit extremely deep and focus on defending the areas where these two young players operate.
As a result of the above, it is no surprise that Spain consistently dominates their opponents in the number of corners gained per match.
Belgium recent form
Belgium’s last five matches
- USA vs Belgium 1:4
- Belgium vs Senegal 3:2
- New Zealand vs Belgium 1:5
- Iran vs Belgium 0:0
- Egypt vs Belgium 1:1
Goals scored and conceded
Following two relatively underwhelming, low-scoring draws against Egypt and Iran at the beginning of their campaign that led to questions regarding their ability to score goals, Belgium erupted into action with a thrilling 5-1 defeat of New Zealand to book their spot in the next round.
Additionally, the fact that they allowed two goals to Senegal and nearly lost against an equally direct United States attack indicates that they will have a difficult time protecting their back line against a skilled Spanish offense.
Key trends from recent matches
Once Belgium advanced beyond the initial round-robin phase of this tournament, they demonstrated a very distinct pattern of competing in exciting matches that featured numerous Goals being scored.
Belgium appears to show an unusual trend of experiencing extreme fatigue at the end of each match resulting in a tendency to concede late goals when facing teams that can maintain possession well.
Team news
Spain team news
There are no new Injuries, nor disciplinary suspensions with-in the squad, therefore the tactical framework that has allowed them to progress so successfully through-out the competition will remain unchanged.
Lamine Yamal, the teenager sensation, will again be relied upon to deliver an attack for his country. Rodri will play in the middle of the park and function as both the teams main conductor and defensive bulwark to control the speed and flow of the game and to stop any potential counter-attack by Belgium before it develops into something more threatening.
Belgium team news
Thibaut Courtois will be the most busy player on the field and he will need to utilize his elite shot-stopping abilities as well as his aerial prowess in order to keep the Spanish onslaught at bay.
Kevin De Bruyne will continue to be the driving force behind this side, as he has been throughout the tournament; his unique combination of vision and passing ability will provide the forward players with every opportunity to create scoring chances out of little to nothing.
Romelu Lukaku will spearhead the attack and use his incredible size and strength to harass the Spanish center-backs in an attempt to increase his already impressive tournament goal tally of 3 goals.
Predicted lineups
Spain predicted XI
- Spain probable XI: Simón, Porro, Cubarsí, Laporte, Cucurella, Pedri, Rodri, Yamal, Olmo, Baena, Oyarzabal
Belgium predicted XI
- Belgium probable XI: Courtois, Castagne, Mechele, Ngoy, De Cuyper, Tielemans, Raskin, Onana, Lukebakio, De Ketelaere, Trossard
Best betting markets for Spain vs Belgium
- Tip 1: Total number of goals – under 2.5
Given Spain’s propensity to maintain constant possession of the ball, limiting the amount of clear-cut scoring opportunities that Belgium creates is likely to be their primary objective. As a result, Spain should be able to limit the total number of goals scored in the match.
- Tip 2: Both Teams to score no
Rodri is currently the best defensive midfielder in the world, and facing him may very well be the greatest challenge in world soccer today. Therefore, Belgium faces a daunting task attempting to break-through and create a clean scoring chance. Furthermore, since Spain typically does not allow its opponent(s) to possess/transition at a high rate, Belgium will experience numerous stretches of poor quality service.
- Tip 3: Spain to win (either half-time or fulltime).
Through relentless position based soccer, Spain has consistently worn down their opposition. It is likely that Spain wins at least one half in this contest. Even though Belgium may potentially hold Spain without a goal through 45 minutes, Spain prevails in the second half.
- Tip 4: Total corners: over 8.5
Nico Williams and Lamine Yamal will be used by Spain on the flanks to provide their team with speed and crossing ability, and thus these contests will always produce a large quantity of corner kicks. Additionally, Belgium has direct wingers such as Leandro Trossard and Dodi Lukebakio who enjoy taking on opposing defenders and driving to the sideline where they will ultimately lose possession through deflection.
Where to bet on Spain vs Belgium
Spain vs Belgium prediction
Best bet
Clearly and justifiably favored to advance past Belgium into the semi-final round are Spain. Although Kevin De Bruyne and Romelu Lukaku individually possess enough star power to temporarily unsettle Spain, Belgium’s inability to defend against prolonged attacks by opposition makes it unlikely that they would be able to withstand Spain’s elite passing circles.
Correct score prediction
Spain 2 – 0 Belgium
It is reasonable to expect that Belgium will concede at least one goal in each half as they pursue a game they are losing. Their back four has shown that they can be broken when subjected to sustained pressure.
Match analysis and verdict
From the outset, Spain will clearly aim to dominate in the central area of the pitch using Rodri and Pedri to set the tempo and gradually reduce the time that Belgium spends in possession of the ball. Unless Belgium can devise a method to disrupt this passing rhythm, Kevin De Bruyne will have no choice but to sit extremely deep in order to regain possession of the ball, thereby leaving Romelu Lukaku completely isolated versus Laporte and Cubarsi.
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