Spain One Match Away from Italy's Record

Spain has reached the World Cup semifinals for the first time since their triumphant 2010 campaign. La Furia Roja secured a dramatic 2-1 victory over Belgium in a quarter-final clash. The winning goal for the Spaniards came in the 88th minute, with Mikel Merino capitalizing on a goalkeeping error by Senne Lammens. The Manchester United shot-stopper failed to hold onto a long-range shot from Pau Cubarsí, and Merino was perfectly positioned to tap in the rebound, sealing the win for his side.

Lammens had entered the game as a substitute after Belgium's starting goalkeeper, Thibaut Courtois, left the field in tears due to an injury during the second half.

With this victory, Spain extended their impressive unbeaten run to 36 consecutive matches in regular time. The team, led by Luis de la Fuente, hasn't suffered a defeat since a 0-1 friendly loss to Colombia in March 2024.

This achievement sees the Spaniards equal Argentina's record from 2019–2022 and places them just one match shy of Italy's world record of 37 unbeaten games, set between 2018 and 2021.