Forty years after their famous World Cup meeting, Spain and Belgium go head-to-head once again in a quarterfinal battle for a place in the semi-finals, with the clash taking place at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood.
The two sides last met at this stage of the tournament in 1986, when Belgium beat Spain on penalties in the quarterfinals of the FIFA World Cup, before Spain gained revenge in the group stage at the 1990 edition.
That 1986 shootout remains one of the most memorable chapters in either nation’s World Cup history, and this rematch offers Belgium the chance to replicate that famous result, while Spain will be eager to avoid a repeat.
Both sides head into the contest unbeaten in the tournament, and both emerged as winners of their respective groups in North America, having since experienced a range of emotions in the knockout stages.
Spain have been especially efficient defensively, becoming the first team in World Cup history to keep six consecutive clean sheets after edging Portugal 1-0 through a stoppage-time Mikel Merino winner.
Belgium, meanwhile, arrive full of confidence following a statement 4-1 demolition of co-hosts USA, with Charles De Ketelaere among the standout performers.
The pair have also crossed paths regularly outside the World Cup, with their overall head-to-head history stretching back to a 1921 friendly and including multiple qualifiers and continental fixtures over the decades, leaving the historical ledger fairly even between the two nations.
With Kevin De Bruyne orchestrating Belgium’s attack and Lamine Yamal spearheading Spain’s charge, this meeting promises to be one of the most closely contested quarterfinals of the tournament, a fitting 40th-anniversary sequel to their unforgettable 1986 duel, with a place in the World Cup semi-finals on the line.
