Belgium 1 – 2 Spain

WORLDCUP · July 10, 2026 · Final

🎧 Post-Game Report (audio)

Post-Game Recap

Spain takes down Belgium two goals to one, and it wasn't particularly close despite what the scoreline suggests. This was a dominant Spanish performance from the opening whistle, and the numbers tell the whole story — sixty-eight percent possession, seventeen shots, eight on frame, with Belgium managing just five shots all night and a goalkeeper who was kept busy making six saves to keep his side in it.

Lamine Yamal was the engine of everything dangerous, finishing with six total shots and causing Belgium's backline problems they simply couldn't solve. Rodri was the metronome in midfield, completing ninety-eight accurate passes — that's not a typo — controlling the tempo and dictating every phase of play. When Belgium did threaten, Pau Cubarsí was there, logging eight defensive interventions to snuff out whatever the Belgians could muster. Charles De Ketelaere led Belgium's attack with just two shots, and Nathan Ngoy managed thirty-eight passes in a losing effort — those numbers tell you everything about how restricted this Belgian side was.

Unai Simón needed just one save on the night. That's how little Belgium could do in the final third. Belgium's one goal gave them a brief moment, but Spain's quality was simply too much to sustain any real belief.

Spain moves on, and Belgium goes home wondering what might have been with more of the ball. That's your post-game report. Sports Desk, signing off.

AI-generated post-game report composed from the official play-by-play and box score.

Complete Play-by-Play

Show all 125 plays

Lineups are announced and players are warming up.

First Half begins.

Foul by Nicolas Raskin (Belgium). 2'

Lamine Yamal (Spain) wins a free kick in the defensive half. 2'

Offside, Spain. Marc Cucurella is caught offside. 3'

Foul by Leandro Trossard (Belgium). 9'

Lamine Yamal (Spain) wins a free kick on the left wing. 9'

Attempt blocked. Rodri (Spain) right footed shot from the centre of the box is blocked. Assisted by Fabián Ruiz with a cross. 10'

Jérémy Doku (Belgium) wins a free kick in the defensive half. 11'

Foul by Pedro Porro (Spain). 11'

Attempt blocked. Álex Baena (Spain) right footed shot from the centre of the box is blocked. Assisted by Pau Cubarsí with a through ball. 13'

Attempt blocked. Charles De Ketelaere (Belgium) left footed shot from the right side of the box is blocked. Assisted by Jérémy Doku. 15'

Foul by Maxim De Cuyper (Belgium). 18'

Pedro Porro (Spain) wins a free kick in the defensive half. 18'

Brandon Mechele (Belgium) wins a free kick in the defensive half. 19'

Foul by Lamine Yamal (Spain). 19'

Attempt missed. Lamine Yamal (Spain) left footed shot from outside the box is close, but misses to the left. Assisted by Mikel Oyarzabal. 21'

Foul by Nathan Ngoy (Belgium). 22'

Mikel Oyarzabal (Spain) wins a free kick in the defensive half. 22'

Delay in match for a drinks break. 23'

Delay over. They are ready to continue. 26'

Timothy Castagne (Belgium) wins a free kick in the defensive half. 28'

Foul by Álex Baena (Spain). 28'

Attempt saved. Dani Olmo (Spain) right footed shot from the centre of the box is saved in the centre of the goal by Thibaut Courtois (Belgium). Assisted by Pedro Porro. 30'

Goal! Spain 1, Belgium 0. Fabián Ruiz (Spain) right footed shot from the centre of the box to the high centre of the goal. 30'

Delay in match because of an injury Timothy Castagne (Belgium). 31'

Delay over. They are ready to continue. 32'

Foul by Jérémy Doku (Belgium). 34'

Lamine Yamal (Spain) wins a free kick in the attacking half. 34'

Attempt saved. Lamine Yamal (Spain) left footed shot from outside the box is saved in the bottom left corner by Thibaut Courtois (Belgium). 35'

Corner, Spain. Conceded by Jérémy Doku. 35'

Delay in match (Spain). 35'

Delay over. They are ready to continue. 36'

Handball by Álex Baena (Spain). 36'

Offside, Belgium. Charles De Ketelaere is caught offside. 37'

Attempt missed. Lamine Yamal (Spain) left footed shot from the right side of the box is close, but misses to the right. Assisted by Rodri. 40'

Goal! Spain 1, Belgium 1. Charles De Ketelaere (Belgium) header from the centre of the box to the centre of the goal. Assisted by Timothy Castagne with a cross. 41'

Kevin De Bruyne (Belgium) wins a free kick on the left wing. 43'

Foul by Pau Cubarsí (Spain). 43'

Pau Cubarsí (Spain) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul. 43'

Foul by Maxim De Cuyper (Belgium). 44'

Lamine Yamal (Spain) wins a free kick in the attacking half. 44'

Attempt missed. Pedro Porro (Spain) left footed shot from outside the box is high and wide to the left. Assisted by Álex Baena. 45'

Fourth official has announced 5 minutes of added time. 45'

Corner, Spain. Conceded by Brandon Mechele. 45'+1'

Corner, Spain. Conceded by Kevin De Bruyne. 45'+2'

Attempt blocked. Fabián Ruiz (Spain) left footed shot from the centre of the box is blocked. Assisted by Rodri. 45'+2'

Delay in match because of an injury Dani Olmo (Spain). 45'+3'

Delay over. They are ready to continue. 45'+4'

Nicolas Raskin (Belgium) wins a free kick in the defensive half. 45'+5'

Foul by Mikel Oyarzabal (Spain). 45'+5'

First Half ends, Spain 1, Belgium 1. 45'+6'

Second Half begins Spain 1, Belgium 1. 45'

Leandro Trossard (Belgium) wins a free kick in the defensive half. 46'

Foul by Marc Cucurella (Spain). 46'

Foul by Brandon Mechele (Belgium). 47'

Dani Olmo (Spain) wins a free kick in the defensive half. 47'

Offside, Spain. Lamine Yamal is caught offside. 48'

Foul by Kevin De Bruyne (Belgium). 49'

Fabián Ruiz (Spain) wins a free kick on the left wing. 49'

Corner, Belgium. Conceded by Aymeric Laporte. 50'

Foul by Nicolas Raskin (Belgium). 50'

Álex Baena (Spain) wins a free kick in the defensive half. 50'

Attempt blocked. Lamine Yamal (Spain) left footed shot from the centre of the box is blocked. Assisted by Marc Cucurella. 52'

Corner, Spain. Conceded by Brandon Mechele. 52'

Attempt missed. Dani Olmo (Spain) right footed shot from outside the box is high and wide to the right. Assisted by Pau Cubarsí following a corner. 53'

Attempt missed. Maxim De Cuyper (Belgium) left footed shot from the left side of the box is close, but misses to the left. 55'

Substitution, Spain. Ferran Torres replaces Álex Baena. 55'

Substitution, Spain. Pedri replaces Fabián Ruiz. 55'

Jérémy Doku (Belgium) wins a free kick in the defensive half. 59'

Foul by Lamine Yamal (Spain). 59'

Substitution, Belgium. Axel Witsel replaces Leandro Trossard. 60'

Substitution, Belgium. Romelu Lukaku replaces Hans Vanaken. 60'

Substitution, Belgium. Joaquin Seys replaces Maxim De Cuyper. 61'

Attempt saved. Lamine Yamal (Spain) left footed shot from outside the box is saved in the bottom left corner by Thibaut Courtois (Belgium). Assisted by Mikel Oyarzabal. 61'

Attempt saved. Kevin De Bruyne (Belgium) right footed shot from the centre of the box is saved in the centre of the goal by Unai Simón (Spain). 62'

Attempt saved. Mikel Oyarzabal (Spain) right footed shot from the right side of the six yard box is saved in the bottom right corner by Thibaut Courtois (Belgium). 62'

Corner, Spain. Conceded by Nathan Ngoy. 62'

Foul by Nicolas Raskin (Belgium). 64'

Dani Olmo (Spain) wins a free kick on the right wing. 64'

Jérémy Doku (Belgium) wins a free kick in the defensive half. 66'

Foul by Pedro Porro (Spain). 66'

Delay in match because of an injury Thibaut Courtois (Belgium). 66'

Delay over. They are ready to continue. 67'

Delay in match for a drinks break. 67'

Delay over. They are ready to continue. 70'

Foul by Jérémy Doku (Belgium). 70'

Pedro Porro (Spain) wins a free kick in the defensive half. 70'

Offside, Spain. Marc Cucurella is caught offside. 71'

Substitution, Belgium. Senne Lammens replaces Thibaut Courtois because of an injury. 71'

Attempt blocked. Lamine Yamal (Spain) left footed shot from the right side of the box is blocked. Assisted by Dani Olmo. 74'

Foul by Axel Witsel (Belgium). 76'

Pedri (Spain) wins a free kick on the left wing. 76'

Nicolas Raskin (Belgium) wins a free kick on the left wing. 77'

Foul by Pedro Porro (Spain). 77'

Jérémy Doku (Belgium) wins a free kick in the defensive half. 79'

Foul by Pedro Porro (Spain). 79'

Substitution, Spain. Nico Williams replaces Mikel Oyarzabal. 79'

Foul by Nicolas Raskin (Belgium). 82'

Pau Cubarsí (Spain) wins a free kick on the right wing. 82'

Attempt blocked. Kevin De Bruyne (Belgium) left footed shot from more than 35 yards is blocked. 84'

Foul by Kevin De Bruyne (Belgium). 85'

Ferran Torres (Spain) wins a free kick in the attacking half. 85'

Kevin De Bruyne (Belgium) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul. 85'

Substitution, Belgium. Alexis Saelemaekers replaces Kevin De Bruyne. 86'

Substitution, Spain. Mikel Merino replaces Dani Olmo. 86'

Attempt saved. Pau Cubarsí (Spain) right footed shot from outside the box is saved in the bottom left corner by Senne Lammens (Belgium). Assisted by Pedri. 88'

Goal! Spain 2, Belgium 1. Mikel Merino (Spain) left footed shot from very close range to the top left corner. 88'

Fourth official has announced 7 minutes of added time. 90'+1'

Axel Witsel (Belgium) wins a free kick in the defensive half. 90'+1'

Foul by Mikel Merino (Spain). 90'+1'

Handball by Jérémy Doku (Belgium). 90'+1'

Jérémy Doku (Belgium) wins a free kick in the attacking half. 90'+3'

Foul by Aymeric Laporte (Spain). 90'+3'

Aymeric Laporte (Spain) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul. 90'+3'

Foul by Nicolas Raskin (Belgium). 90'+4'

Mikel Merino (Spain) wins a free kick in the defensive half. 90'+4'

Foul by Axel Witsel (Belgium). 90'+5'

Rodri (Spain) wins a free kick in the attacking half. 90'+5'

Axel Witsel (Belgium) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul. 90'+5'

Foul by Romelu Lukaku (Belgium). 90'+6'

Unai Simón (Spain) wins a free kick in the defensive half. 90'+6'

Attempt saved. Marc Cucurella (Spain) left footed shot from outside the box is saved in the bottom left corner by Senne Lammens (Belgium). Assisted by Mikel Merino. 90'+7'

Second Half ends, Spain 2, Belgium 1. 90'+8'

Match ends, Spain 2, Belgium 1.