Los Angeles, July 11 (IANS) Spain coach Luis de la Fuente praised the depth, unity and selflessness of his squad after two of his key selection decisions proved decisive in a 2-1 victory over Belgium that sent the European champions into the FIFA World Cup semi-finals on Friday.Fabian Ruiz, who was handed a surprise start in place of Pedri, broke the deadlock before second-half substitute Mikel Merino came off the bench and fired home the winner just two minutes after his introduction after Belg…
Latest Belgium News & Updates
Los Angeles, July 11 (IANS) Substitute Mikel Merino scored a late winner for the second consecutive match as Spain defeated Belgium 2-1 here on Friday to book its first FIFA World Cup semifinal appearance since 2010, setting up a last-four clash against France in Dallas next Tuesday.Merino had also come off the bench to score the winner in Spain’s 1-0 victory over Portugal in the round of 16, while the Red Devils cruised past co-host the United States 4-1 to reach the quarterfinals, reported Xin…
Los Angeles, July 10 (IANS) Spain and Belgium meet in an all-European World Cup quarterfinal on Saturday, with Belgium facing the daunting task of becoming the first team to score against Spain in the tournament.Both nations emerged from the group stage as table toppers, with La Roja then producing one of the standout performances of the Round of 32 to sweep aside Austria 3-0. Luis de la Fuente’s side won a tight Iberian derby with Portugal in the last 16 thanks to a stoppage-time winner from Mi…
Foxborough, July 10 (IANS) France’s leading goal scorer in FIFA World Cup history, Kylian Mbappe, heaped praise on his side’s potential but accepted that they are still not the strongest team after he helped the two-time champions reach their third consecutive semi-final of the tournament with a 2-0 win over Morocco in the quarter-final on Friday. Mbappe started the match on a poor note as he missed the penalty, but the 27-year-old made a brilliant recovery, netting in the 60th minute to give …
New Delhi, July 10 (IANS) Former India footballer Robin Singh believes the team that controls the midfield will have one foot in the FIFA World Cup 2026 semi-finals when Spain take on Belgium in a blockbuster quarter-final, with the contest expected to be decided by the clash between Spain’s possession game and Belgium’s devastating counter-attacks. New Delhi, July 10 (IANS) Former India footballer Robin Singh believes the team that controls the midfield will have one foot in the FIFA World …
Foxborough, July 10 (IANS) Coach Didier Deschamps said France’s latest World Cup milestone reflected more than individual brilliance, praising his team’s experience, unity and ability to handle pressure after Les Bleus reached a third consecutive FIFA World Cup semi-final with a 2-0 victory over Morocco. Dominant but ineffective in the first half, France made the difference in the second half, overcoming a stubborn Moroccan side at Boston Stadium through goals from Kylian Mbappe and Ousmane Demb…
Foxborough, July 10 (IANs) Kylian Mbappe overcame a first-half penalty miss to lead France into a third successive FIFA World Cup semi-final, beating Morocco 2-0 in the last-16 here at the Boston Stadium. Mbappe recovered from a first-half penalty miss to score his eighth goal of the FIFA World Cup 2026, before setting up Ousmane Dembele for his fifth goal as the two-time champions booked a last-four meeting with either Belgium or Spain.France signalled their intent early, with Dayot Upamecano h…
New York, July 10 (IANS) In all, seventeen players head into the 2026 FIFA World Cup quarterfinals one yellow card away from suspension, with several title contenders at risk of losing key players for the semifinals.Yellow cards accumulated during the group stage were wiped before the knockout rounds, but any players who receive two bookings between the round of 32 and the quarterfinals will be suspended for the semifinals if their teams advance.England and Morocco are the teams facing the great…
New York, July 9 (IANS) Spain and Belgium meet in an all-European World Cup quarterfinal on Saturday, with Belgium facing the daunting task of becoming the first team to score against Spain in the tournament.Spain has yet to concede a goal at the World Cup, with goalkeeper Unai Simón extending his shutout streak in World Cup finals to 609 minutes, a run dating back to the group stage of the 2022 tournament in Qatar.Luis de la Fuente is expected to retain his preferred back four of Marc Cucurell…
New Delhi, July 8 (IANS) The FIFA World Cup 2026 Round of 16 delivered late winners, stunning upsets, dramatic comebacks and emotional farewells as the race for football’s biggest prize narrowed to the final eight. Morocco kicked off the knockout stage in style with a commanding display to eliminate co-hosts Canada. The Atlas Lions have carried forward the momentum from their memorable run in Qatar, while Canada can take pride in reaching the World Cup knockout stage for the first time in thei…