Mikel Merino's Bench Heroics Send Spain Past Belgium and Into World Cup Semi-Final Against France
The substitute has now scored decisive late winners in three straight major tournament knockout matches, turning Luis de la Fuente's game management into a genuine system.
Mikel Merino came off the Spain bench in the 86th minute against Belgium with one job: find a goal from nothing. Two minutes later, he had done it again. His stoppage-time winner completed a 2-1 victory that sends Spain into the World Cup semi-final against France, and it extends a pattern too consistent now to call coincidence.
This was Merino's third decisive late goal as a substitute across two major tournaments, following his winner in the Euro 2024 semi-final and another in this same World Cup's quarter-final stage just four days earlier. Spain are no longer hoping for a hero off the bench. They are planning around one.
Merino Strikes Again: Inside Spain's Late-Goal Superstition
Introduced at 85 minutes and 32 seconds with Spain still searching for a way past a resolute Belgian defence, Merino needed barely two minutes to make his mark. He pounced on a loose ball at 87:28, after Senne Lammens failed to hold Pau Cubarsi's shot, and steered it home to send the away end into delirium.
A hat-trick spanning two tournaments
The scale of what Merino is doing deserves its own accounting. Consider the sequence:
- Euro 2024 semi-final: Merino scores the winner as a substitute, sending Spain through en route to the title.
- World Cup 2026 quarter-final, four days prior: Merino again scores as a substitute to decide the tie.
- This quarter-final against Belgium: Merino scores the 87th-minute winner within two minutes of coming on.
As he set off on his now-familiar celebration, dedicated to his father, it was hard to see this as luck. It has become his identity on the biggest stages, and Spain's biggest asset.
The Moment Courtois Left the Pitch and Belgium's Chances With Him
Belgium had matched Spain for long stretches and deserved their equaliser. Charles De Ketelaere headed them level in first-half stoppage time, finishing a move built by Jérémy Doku's surging run and a composed, unfussy pass from kevin-de-bruyne" class="entity-link entity-link--player">Kevin De Bruyne that released Timothy Castagne for the cross. It was a goal that showed exactly why Belgium's front players, Doku, De Bruyne and Castagne among them, had troubled Spain throughout.
The injury that changed everything
Then, midway through the second half, Belgium's night turned. Thibaut Courtois went down holding his thigh, tried to play on, and was eventually forced off in tears. He had already denied Spain twice, saving from Dani Olmo's rebound situation and later from Mikel Oyarzabal at the near post.
His replacement, Senne Lammens, lasted barely any time before the mistake that decided the match. Dropping Cubarsi's shot straight into Merino's path, Lammens handed Spain the chance their substitute needed just one touch to convert.
A team already stretched thin
Belgium's misfortune with Courtois compounded an evening that had already seen Youri Tielemans forced off before kick-off. De Bruyne himself would eventually have to leave the pitch too. Manager Rudi Garcia's response, throwing on Axel Witsel, Joaquin Seys and Romelu Lukaku, could not disguise the fact that Belgium's spine had been dismantled at the worst possible moment.
De la Fuente's Substitutions Are No Longer Lucky, They're Tactical Doctrine
Luis de la Fuente's decision-making was vindicated at both ends of this match. His call to replace Pedri with Fabian Ruiz produced immediate reward: Ruiz set up Rodri's chance inside the first ten minutes and then scored the opening goal himself on the half-hour, converting the rebound after Olmo's effort was parried by Courtois.
Spain had dominated for a while, certainly since the commercial break, and now they had a lead that it was hard to imagine them letting go of.
A repeatable pattern, not a one-off gamble
What separates de la Fuente's substitutions from ordinary tactical tweaks is the frequency of the payoff. Three knockout-stage matches, three winning contributions delivered by players introduced from the bench, with Merino at the centre of the trend each time. That is no longer a hunch. It is a blueprint other national coaches will study before facing Spain.
For bettors and analysts tracking in-play markets, this matters enormously. Spain's late-game substitution patterns have become a genuine statistical signal, not a narrative flourish.
Spain vs France: What This Result Means for the Semi-Final
Spain now head back to Dallas to face France, a fixture that will test whether Merino's impact-sub trend can survive a third consecutive high-stakes examination. Lamine Yamal was again Spain's most dangerous outlet throughout normal time, repeatedly escaping Doku and forcing saves from Courtois before his exit, and his relationship with pedro-porro" class="entity-link entity-link--player">Pedro Porro and Cubarsi down the right and through the middle will be central to how Spain approach France's own dangerous transitions.
What Spain need to solve
Spain dominated long spells of this game yet still needed a bench substitute to break Belgium's resistance. Against a France side with its own attacking quality, De la Fuente may not be able to rely on late introductions alone.
The bigger question for the semi-final is whether Merino starts. After two tournaments of proving his worth from the bench, there is now a genuine tactical dilemma facing Spain's coaching staff: preserve the impact-sub formula, or find a way to have their most in-form player on the pitch from the first whistle.
What happens next
Spain's semi-final against France is now the standout fixture of the World Cup's final four, pitting de la Fuente's game-management approach against a French side with match-winners of their own throughout the pitch. Expect heavy scrutiny of Spain's team sheet, specifically whether Merino starts or is again held back for a late introduction.
For Belgium, the post-mortem will centre on Courtois' injury and its severity, with Rudi Garcia facing questions about squad depth in goal and midfield after Tielemans, De Bruyne and Courtois were all affected in a single match. The tournament ends here for Belgium, but the manner of the exit, undone by a goalkeeping error rather than a defensive collapse, will sting for a long time.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who scored the winning goal for Spain against Belgium?
Mikel Merino scored Spain's 87th-minute winner, arriving as a substitute in the 86th minute and converting from close range after Belgium goalkeeper Senne Lammens failed to hold a shot from Pau Cubarsi.
Has Mikel Merino scored a late winner as a substitute before?
Yes. Merino scored the winning goal as a substitute in the Euro 2024 semi-final and again as a substitute in Spain's World Cup 2026 quarter-final four days before this Belgium match, making this his third such goal across two tournaments.
Why did Thibaut Courtois leave the pitch against Spain?
Courtois went down holding his thigh in the second half, attempted to continue, and was eventually substituted in tears. His replacement, Senne Lammens, was directly involved in the mistake that led to Spain's winning goal.
Who does Spain play in the World Cup semi-final?
Spain face France in the World Cup 2026 semi-final after beating Belgium 2-1 in the quarter-final. The match takes Spain back to Dallas for the last-four stage.
Did Belgium equalise against Spain?
Yes. Charles De Ketelaere headed Belgium level in first-half stoppage time, finishing a move started by Jérémy Doku and completed by a cross from Timothy Castagne after a pass from Kevin De Bruyne.
Who opened the scoring for Spain against Belgium?
Fabian Ruiz scored Spain's opening goal on the half-hour mark, converting the rebound after Thibaut Courtois saved Dani Olmo's initial effort. Ruiz had also set up an earlier chance for Rodri shortly after coming on for Pedri.
Will Mikel Merino start the semi-final against France?
It remains unclear whether Luis de la Fuente will start Merino after three consecutive substitute impact goals. The coaching staff faces a genuine selection dilemma between preserving the impact-sub formula and starting their most in-form player.
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Sources
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Frequently Asked Questions
How did Spain beat Belgium in the World Cup quarter-final?
Spain won 2-1 after Mikel Merino scored a stoppage-time winner just two minutes after coming on as an 86th-minute substitute. The goal followed a mistake by Belgium goalkeeper Senne Lammens, who failed to hold Pau Cubarsi's shot.
Why did Thibaut Courtois come off against Spain?
Thibaut Courtois went off with a thigh injury midway through the second half after trying to play on. He was replaced by Senne Lammens, who was directly at fault for Spain's winning goal shortly afterwards.
Who scored Belgium's goal against Spain?
Charles De Ketelaere headed Belgium level in first-half stoppage time, finishing a move involving Jeremy Doku, Kevin De Bruyne and Timothy Castagne. It was later cancelled out by Mikel Merino's late winner for Spain.
Who will Spain play in the World Cup semi-final?
Spain will face France in the World Cup semi-final after beating Belgium 2-1 in the quarter-final. The winner's goal came from substitute Mikel Merino in stoppage time.
