Spain 2-1 Belgium: La Roja Do It The Hard Way But They Do It
Jay Thompson ·
Right, let's talk about this one. Spain 2-1 Belgium. World Cup 2026. And honestly... it was one of those games where the scoreline makes it look closer than it actually was. Because for long stretches of this match, Belgium were just trying to survive.
Spain Were Absolutely Dominant. The Stats Don't Lie.
Look, I don't usually go full numbers on you, but sometimes the numbers just tell the story better than anything else. Sixty-eight percent possession for Spain. Six hundred and sixty-four passes to Belgium's three hundred and twelve. Seventeen shots to five. Mate, this was a mauling in slow motion.
Spain had 85 dangerous attacks to Belgium's 25. That is not a close game. That is one team pressing the accelerator and another team just trying to stay on the road. The Belgian keeper was doing shifts out there, six saves on the night. Without him it could have been genuinely ugly.
And yet. And yet Belgium made it interesting. That's the thing about this tournament. Teams don't just roll over. Belgium found a way to be annoying right up until the 88th minute.
How The Goals Went In
Spain broke the deadlock at 30 minutes. Right foot shot. Clean, clinical. Exactly the kind of goal you expect from a side that pings the ball around like that. They had 13 key passes on the night. Belgium had two. Two. That tells you everything about where the danger was coming from.
Then Belgium went and equalised on 41 minutes and suddenly the whole stadium went a bit weird. A header, assisted. Right before half time. Classic tournament football. Spain dominating, Belgium hanging in there, and then one set piece moment and it's level. You know the vibes. The kind of goal that makes you think something strange is about to happen.
Spain came out after the break and just kept coming. The subs at 55 minutes freshened things up. But Belgium were digging in. They made five substitutions of their own, clearly going all in on the counter. They had two injuries in the game as well, which didn't help their cause at all.
Then 88 minutes. A substitute came on at 86 minutes and scored two minutes later with his left foot. I actually love that. Comes on, barely has time to get his socks sorted, and slots it home. Scenes. Absolute scenes. That is what World Cup football is about.
Belgium Were Not Bad. Spain Were Just Better.
Look, I don't want to be too hard on Belgium here because they came into this in decent nick. Their last five overall they won three, drew one, lost one. And their away record was genuinely tasty before this, 10 goals scored in three away games. They can score goals, this Belgium side.
But here's the thing. Look at the fixtures they'd been facing before this. Spain had not conceded a single goal in their last three away games. Not one. Clean sheet percentage of 100 percent on the road. And at home they'd only let one in across five games. This is a team built to frustrate and dominate at the same time. That's a rare combination.
Belgium's issue was the 32 percent possession. You cannot build anything off 32 percent possession against this Spain team. They had only two shots on target all night. Two. Their goalkeeper made six saves but he was only called on twice in terms of proper on-target efforts from Belgium going the other way. Funny old game isn't it.
The Bit That Actually Surprised Me
Honestly, I actually looked at the numbers for once and the duels won stat jumped out at me. Spain won 42 duels, Belgium won 41. Nearly identical. So Belgium weren't getting bossed physically. They were competitive in the individual battles. They just couldn't get the ball often enough to make those wins count.
Spain's passing accuracy was 90 percent. Belgium's was 78 percent. That gap in quality with the ball is where the game was won. Spain just... kept it. Belgium kept winning the duel and then Spain's next man was already there to receive it. Infuriating to play against, I'd imagine.
Belgium also went long a lot. Forty-five long passes to Spain's 35. That tells you Belgium were trying to bypass the press, punt it forward, and hope their attackers could do something. Sometimes it worked. Mostly it didn't. Spain's back line were comfortable dealing with it.
What This Means Going Forward
Spain are rolling. Five wins in their last five overall. Nine goals scored, one conceded in that run. Their momentum slope is positive and their squad depth is clearly there, look at the impact that late substitute had. This is a team that can win this tournament. I'm going big on this. Don't @ me.
Belgium are still alive but they needed something from this one and they didn't get it. Their overall form in this tournament shows they're a tough out for anyone, but you can't keep going away from home against elite sides with that little of the ball and expect results. Their BTTS rate is through the roof which is interesting for their remaining games. They score, but they also give up goals. That's fun for us watching, less fun for their manager.
Right. Spain into the next round looking like genuine contenders. Belgium dusting themselves off and hoping for better. You heard it here first. Spain are going deep in this one. Back to the drawing board for the BTTS tip though, that one's still officially pending and with a 2-1 scoreline... yeah, both teams scored. Could have been worse. Could have been better. That's football, mate.