Mikel Merino scores late winner

Mikel Merino scored in the 88th minute to give Spain a 2-1 victory over Belgium in the World Cup quarterfinals. The winning goal came on a rebound after Belgium's backup goalkeeper Senne Lammens spilled a shot. Merino, who also scored as a substitute in Spain's round of 16 match against Portugal, was the late hero for the second straight match. Spain will face France in the semifinals on Tuesday in the Dallas area.

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The match was closely contested, with Belgium's Charles De Ketelaere scoring the first goal allowed by Spain in the entire World Cup in the 41st minute. Fabián Ruiz scored for Spain in the 30th minute, and the team remained unbeaten since March 2023 in a streak of 37 matches.

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Belgium's streak of 18 straight unbeaten matches ended with the loss. The match saw several key players injured, including Belgium's Thibaut Courtois and Youri Tielemans, while Kevin De Bruyne returned for Belgium and started the match.