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Spain vs. Belgium player ratings: Final grades as La Roja win in 2026 World Cup quarterfinal
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- Spain vs. Belgium player ratings: Final grades as La Roja win in 2026 World Cup quarterfinal
Spain vs. Belgium player ratings: Final grades as La Roja win in 2026 World Cup quarterfinal originally appeared on The Sporting News . Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here .
Spain have reached the 2026 FIFA World Cup semifinals for the first time since their title-winning charge in 2010 as they outlasted Belgium 2-1 in Los Angeles on Friday.
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Goals from Fabian Ruiz and Mikel Merino made the difference, the latter coming just two minutes from the end of regulation. The scapegoat for Belgium was goalkeeper Senne Lammens , who came on for an injured Thibaut Courtois in the second half and made an error resulting in the game-winner.
Belgium made a real game of it, as Charles De Ketelaere scored for the second straight knockout game, but they were overwhelmed in midfield and unable to get a hold of the match.
With the victory, La Roja saw their unbeaten streak extend to 36 matches, while Belgium's unbeaten streak is snapped at 18 games.
The Sporting News brings you a full list of player ratings for the match, analyzing both team's individual performances from the opening kickoff to the final whistle.
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MORE: Minute-by-minute recap of Spain vs. Belgium match in the 2026 World Cup quarterfinal
Spain vs. Belgium final score
Location:SoFi Stadium (Inglewood, CA)
Referee: Michael Oliver (ENG)
Spain starting lineup:
4-2-3-1, right to left: 23. Simon (GK) — 12. Porro , 22. Cubarsi, 14. Laporte , 24. Cucurella — 16. Rodri , 8. F. Ruiz ( Pedri , 55') — 19. Lamine Yamal , 10. Olmo (Merino, 86'), 15. Baena (F. Torres , 55') — 21. Oyarzabal (N. Williams, 80').
Belgium starting lineup:
4-2-3-1, right to left: 1. Courtois (GK — Lammens, 70') — 21. Castagne, 25. Ngoy, 4. Mechele , 5. De Cuyper — 23. Raskin , 20. Vanaken ( Witsel , 60') — 11. Doku , 7. De Bruyne ( Saelemaekers , 86'), 10. Trossard (Lukaku, 60') — 17. De Ketelaere.
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Spain player ratings vs. Belgium
All ratings are on a 10-point scale.
Starters
Goalkeeper: Unai Simon — 5
Not a great first half. Failed to save the only shot on target, and hit on only one of his four long balls.
Ended up making just one save all game, and his distribution was poor overall, finishing 3-of-11 on long balls. His 12 recoveries were a bonus as Belgium pummeled Spain's penalty area with crosses. Nearly spilled a late cross in stoppage time but was fouled in the end.
Right-back: Pedro Porro — 8
Extremely active early, helping fill the gap with Lamine Yamal struggling. He was strong defending Jeremy Doku, and also managed to get forward and provide service into the final third.
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With over 100 touches in the match, Porro finished as one of Spain's best players, getting heavily involved in all phases of the mathc.
Right Center-back: Pau Cubarsi — 7
Hardly had any defending to do through the first half, which allowed him to focus largely on his possessional buildup, which was excellent.
That was, until he had to defend sudden aerial presence Charles De Ketelaere and got beat. Then, he picked up a yellow card for grabbing hold of Kevin De Bruyne's shirt and dragging him to the ground.
Made a very, very important block on Jeremy Doku's diagonal ball that was destined for Kevin De Bruyne in the 55th minute. Had it reached its destination, it would have been a goal for sure.
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Had the long-distance shot that saw Senne Lammens spill the ball in the path of Mikel Merino. Ultimately, did many positive things despite his poor moment in conceding Belgium's only goal.
Left center-back: Aymeric Laporte — 7
Hit on 33 of his 35 first-half passes, getting high up the field on the ball. Did next to no defending on the other end, which isn't necessarily a bad thing but wasn't exactly a bonus either.
Made an ENORMOUS intervention in stoppage time by blocking a shot and cannoning it into the path of the goalkeeper who could collect.
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Was booked moments later for barging into Romelu Lukaku he won't care.
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Left-back: Marc Cucurella — 7
Hardly had any defending to do for much of the first half, with Leandro Trossard completely nullified. Cucurella used that chance to bomb forward and get in on the action early and often.
Wasted a good Spain move forward in the 53rd minute with a confusing ball into the middle of the penalty area that was way out of reach of Oyarzabal.
Sometimes, Belgium managed to exploit the space in behind as he got caught high up the field, but for the most part Cucurella was a dangerous presence for his side at little risk behind him.
Central midfielder: Rodri — 7
Looked back to his best early on, ushering possession forward on all areas of the pitch. Even got himself involved in front of goal as his 10th-minute shot was heroically blocked.
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His distribution all game was vintage Rodri, as he ushered possession in midfield exceptionally well and helped Spain pin Belgium back. His defensive contributions are not what they used to, but he was excellent on the ball.
Central midfielder: Fabian Ruiz — 6
The PSG man started in place of Pedri, a big call by head coach Luis de la Fuente. The drop-off in talent was clear early on, as Ruiz was not nearly as influential as Pedri normally is through the first quarter of the match, and his entry passes through the middle were way off target.
However, he managed to get on the scoresheet, with good instincts to pounce on the open space that he filled after Dani Olmo's shot was saved.
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Hooked on 55 minutes for Pedri to finish the game.
Right wing: Lamine Yamal — 8
Was very poor early on, lacking his normal influence on the match with only eight touches through the first 15 minutes of the game. He was less than accurate on his crosses and switches too, as he flew one way over the head of Marc Cucurella in the 17th minute and then couldn't turn effectively between two defenders. Missed wide with a left-footed curler after cutting inside, which is usually his bread and butter.
Started to cook a little once Spain went in front, and won a free-kick which he put on target in the 35th minute that forced a good save out of Thibaut Courtois. By the end of the half, Lamine had completed a game-high three dribbles and looked as if he was starting to find his best.
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After halftime, he kept it going as he delivered a great cross to Ferran Torres at the far post that was only just cut out by Thibaut Courtois. In the 87th minute, he got in great position through the back line, but cut inside instead of shooting first-time, and ran straight into three defenders.
All told, Lamine was his usual self by the end of the game, and despite the slow start, was a key contributor in Spain's victory, mostly for drawing two, sometimes three defenders every time he got on the ball, forcing Jeremy Doku back to help defensively on multiple occasions which limited his contributions.
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Attacking midfielder: Dani Olmo — 8
Was very good both in possession and in the build-up, often dropping back deep to do some of the on-ball work that Pedri normally would if he were in the lineup, since Ruiz was struggling.
Had the initial shot which resulted in the opening goal by Fabian Ruiz. Was brilliant combining with Mikel Oyarzabal, getting the striker involved and trying to unlock the Belgium back line with some lovely play.
Left wing: Alex Baena — 5
Good ball progression early on, and provided some end product too, even if Belgium did well to keep Spain out of the penalty area. Faded, however, as he was blanketed by Timothy Castagne .
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He was largely ineffective on the whole, and was hooked on the hour mark for Ferran Torres.
Striker: Mikel Oyarzabal — 6
Didn't have a ton of touches in the game, but was good in the hold-up department. Played a wonderful one-two with Dani Olmo in the 38th minute that nearly came off, but his back-heel was just cut out at the final moment.
Ultimately didn't have the impact they wanted from their main goal scorer, and he was brought off for Nico Williams with 10 minutes to go in regulation.
Spain substitutes vs. Belgium
55th min — Pedri: 7
After surprisingly being left of the bench, Pedri entered on 55 minutes to replace Fabian Ruiz.
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He was very good closing out the game across the final 35 minutes, ushering possession and pinging the ball all over the field. He has not been stellar this World Cup relative to his own standards, but he played his role well.
55th min — Ferran Torres: 5
Came on just before the hour mark for an ineffective Alex Baena. Moved to striker once Nico Williams came on.
Had a few chances to get on the ball in front of goal, but as he has all tournament, struggled to finish effectively.
86th min — Mikel Merino: 8
Came on late with Spain needing a goal to break the 1-1 deadlock. He delivered his goal scoring expertise once again, crashing the net on Pau Cubarsi's shot and beating Senne Lammens to the rebound for the winner.
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Spain coach vs. Belgium
Luis de la Fuente: 8
Spain continue to sputter in the attacking third at this tournament, with very few ideas in front of goal, but they were extremely effective in cutting the pitch in half as they dominated in midfield and bullied Belgium off the ball.
The approach from Luis de la Fuente completely nullified an injury-stricken Belgium midfield, playing both Hans Vanaken and Nicolas Raskin out of the match and minimizing the effect Jeremy Doku could have.
De la Fuente was even better with his substitutes, saving Pedri for the finish and bringing on Mikel Merino who scored the winning goal shortly after entering. Not that these changes were extremely high-level or galaxy-brained by any stretch, but he still gets credit.
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Belgium player ratings vs. Spain
Starters
Goalkeeper: Thibaut Courtois — 7
Made a good save on Dani Olmo's 30th-minute shot, but parried it into space where Fabian Ruiz was able to get onto the ball first. Made another good save on a Lamine Yamal free-kick just past the half-hour mark.
Came out for a diving punch on a Lamine Yamal cross in the 58th minute that was essential, reaching the ball only just before it found Ferran Torres at the far post.
A shame he had to come off injured midway through the second half.
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Right-back: Timothy Castagne — 8
Had a very strong first half, defending Alex Baena quite effectively and managing to get forward to deliver the cross for Charles De Ketelaere to assist Belgium's first goal. Had a very good game, and a very good tournament.
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Right center-back: Nathan Ngoy — 8
Very good early in the match as a last-ditch defender, making two blocks in the first 20 minutes of the match, including on Rodri's open look. He was constantly in the way of crosses and shots, helping Belgium remain structured in their defending of possession-oriented Spain.
Ultimately finished with a game-high 14 defensive contributions, including eight clearances. A heroic defensive performance.
Left center-back: Brandon Mechele — 8
Was a defensive monster through the first half, which wasn't exactly a great sign for Belgium but was nonetheless effective. Led all players in the game with six defensive contributions through the first half. Under lots of pressure, he didn't miss a pass, 18-of-18 in the first half, and made a team-high four clearances.
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Would finish the match with just one fewer defensive contribution (13) than Ngoy, and the same amount of clearances (8) than his center-back partner. Won all three of his aerial duels, and was not dispossessed. A very strong defensive performance.
Left-back: Maxime De Cuyper — 6
Very strong defending Lamine Yamal early in the game. Made a number of interventions, but also committed two fouls, which Spain could have decided to target more.
As Lamine started to have a greater effect on the game, however, De Cuyper came off to get fresh legs on the pitch.
Central midfielder: Nicolas Raskin — 5
Did very little in possession, but was active defensively, although he struggled with keeping Dani Olmo off the ball in dangerous areas.
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Raskin was a little too scatterbrained, touching the ball all over the pitch but not affecting it as much in possession. 31-of-39 passing was too low, and was not accurate with any of his long balls or crosses. A big reason why Belgium couldn't gain a foothold on the game in midfield.
Central midfielder: Hans Vanaken — 4
Youri Tielemans was supposed to start in midfield for Belgium, but picked up an injury during warmups , forcing Hans Vanaken into the middle of the pitch.
Completely invisible through the opening 25 minutes of the match, with only six touches, and had 16 by halftime. After just 20 touches and just two defensive contributions by the hour mark, he was hooked for Axel Witsel. Belgium desperately missed Tielemans.
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Right wing: Jeremy Doku — 6
Active early in the match trying to get Belgium out of jail dribbling through midfield. Forced to do a lot of defending, and had the foul on Lamine Yamal at the top of the penalty area that gave Spain a good chance 34 minutes in.
He was only successful with three of his eight dribbles, but he used his body positioning extremely well throughout, keeping himself press-resistant even if he couldn't get by the opposition.
Finished with four successful dribbles on nine attempts, joint-most on both occasions. He provided the biggest threat for Belgium in the attacking third, as would be expected, but it ultimately didn't trouble Spain too much.
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Attacking midfielder: Kevin De Bruyne — 6
Didn't have a single touch in the attacking side of the pitch through 30 minutes of the game, which saw Belgium pinned back in their own defensive half for much of the first half.
Finally able to get on the ball as halftime approached, De Bruyne started to make things happen, first delivering the ball for Timothy Castagne which resulted in Belgium's first goal, and then driving by Pau Cubarsi to get the Spain defender booked.
Faded in the second half and was booked for a nasty rugby tackle on Ferran Torres, his last action of the match.
Left wing: Leandro Trossard — 4
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A complete non-factor through the first half-hour, with only four touches and two passes. It didn't get any better as the game went on, as he had just 22 total touches and was dispossessed a whopping four times. By far his worst performance of the World Cup, and was deservingly yanked for Romelu Lukaku on the hour mark.
Striker: Charles De Ketelaere — 6
Was dropping quite deep through the first half to try to help Belgium get out of their own defensive half of the pitch. Finally got going in the penalty area when he beat Pau Cubarsi to meet Timothy Castagne to head home Belgium's first goal. De Ketelaere has not been an aerial presence throughout his career, but he has scored headers in back-to-back games after bodying Tim Ream against the United States.
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From that point on, De Ketelaere was quiet, finishing with very little penalty area influence other than the goal-scoring moment.
Belgium substitutes vs. Spain
60th min — Joaquin Seys : 8
Came on to replace Maxime De Cuyper on the hour mark, with the tall task of defending Lamine Yamal who was starting to cook.
The 21-year-old Club Brugge full-back did extremely well, putting a lid back on Lamine as best he could. A good performance off the bench in a very difficult situation. Worth keeping an eye on this youngster moving forward, because he could have a bright future.
60th min — Axel Witsel: 4
Entered for Hans Vanaken on the hour mark. For 30 minutes of action, barely had a sniff of the ball, with nine total touches. Booked in stoppage time for a late challenge on Rodri. Man, Belgium really missed Youri Tielemans.
60th min — Romelu Lukaku: 3
Came on for an invisible Leandro Trossard in the 60th minute, moving De Ketelaere to the No. 10 and De Bruyne out wide. Had just five touches in 30 minutes as Belgium really struggled to feed him service, and Lukaku failed to find any space up front. It's almost time for Lukaku to hang em up.
71st min — Senne Lammens: 3
Entered for an injured Thibaut Courtois in goal with 20 minutes to go. Spilled Pau Cubarsi's long-distance shot and failed to collect it before Mikel Merino charged onto the ball. He has to collect that ball and cannot allow a rebound in that situation. A shame, because Lammens had a great season at Manchester United , but he's done very poorly here.
86th min — Alexis Saelemaekers: N/A
Entered towards the end of regulation to replace Kevin De Bruyne, but didn't have enough time to make an impact.
Belgium coach vs. Spain
Rudi Garcia: 6
After a masterful Round of 16 coaching performance by Rudi Garcia where his game plan left Mauricio Pochettino in the dust, Garcia was hamstrung against Spain as both of his most physical midfielders were out injured, leaving Garcia to deploy just individuals from Club Brugge and Rangers, which isn't going to cut it in the World Cup quarterfinals.
There wasn't much Garcia could do in this situation. He tried to get Jeremy Doku on the ball as much as he could, but too much Doku was pinned back defending Lamine Yamal in a double-team, limiting his effectiveness.
