Unbeaten Spain’s hunt for the World Cup runs into a suddenly dangerous Belgium

By CNN Newsource

Published July 10, 2026 8:00 am

By Ben Church, CNN

(CNN) — Note: This story first appeared in The Beautiful Game by CNN Sports, our daily newsletter on all things World Cup. To subscribe, click here.

France looks a bit good, doesn’t it?

The first quarterfinal of this year’s World Cup went by without much drama yesterday with Les Bleus cruising into the semifinals with a simple 2-0 win against a less-than-impressive Morocco.

Now, it’s the turn of Spain and Belgium, who will fight it out at 3 p.m. ET Friday for the right to play France in the semifinal on Tuesday at the home of the Dallas Cowboys, AT&T Stadium. Today’s quarterfinal is a fascinating battle that’s gone a little under the radar, but we’ll run you through everything you need to know.

We’ll also talk Kylian Mbappé’s injury concerns, my favorite viral moment of the World Cup and what the streets of Paris were like after watching France win.

The Main Thing: Can unbeaten Spain hold off Belgium’s not-so-golden generation?

Spain is definitely the favorite for this match, let’s get that clear. It’s unbeaten at this year’s World Cup – in fact, it’s been unbeaten since June 8, 2025, when it lost to Portugal on penalties in the Nations League final and didn’t lose before that since March 2024 in a friendly against Colombia. Additionally, La Roja hasn’t conceded a single goal in its five matches at this World Cup, statistically the best defense in the tournament.

That record is no surprise when you consider the array of world-class talent at the Iberian nation’s disposal. Just look at Lamine Yamal, the 18-year-old who is arguably the best attacker on the planet. Yes, the teenager hasn’t impressed as much as other superstars at this tournament, but that could change in a split second. He’s also supported by a brilliant midfield that includes players such as Ballon d’Or winner Rodri, Pedri and Dani Olmo, and a defense that’s been largely untested so far.

It’s why La Roja were considered by many as the favorites to win the title before a ball was kicked in North America and not much has happened to change that opinion. Even the shock 0-0 draw against Cape Verde in Spain’s opening game looks less shocking in the context of how good the African side went on to be in the tournament.

Of course, France is also looking incredibly strong as well, but the Spanish players are feeling confident.

“I think we’ve managed to build a really solid core group,” Spain striker Mikel Oyarzabal said. “Regardless of whether things go well or badly, or who’s playing, the team responds, and I think that’s crucial.”

But, against Belgium, you can’t take anything for granted.

Much has been made of the country’s “Golden Generation” which has, in truth, failed to live up to its reputation over the last decade. A run to the World Cup semifinals in 2018 was as close as things really got to a major trophy and now many of the names have gone on to retire. (Editors’ note: Our 2021 interactive piece on the Golden Generation is genuinely very good and informative. If you really are finding yourself loving soccer, please do check it out.)

A few of the aging members of that squad are still playing today, such as striker Romelu Lukaku and midfielder Kevin De Bruyne, but you get the sense they resent that “Golden Generation” tag, which seems to have followed them around like a stone hanging from their necks.

But, as they say, class is permanent and the Red Devils have enough players to trouble anyone, including a Spanish team which hasn’t been fully put to the test.

Lukaku likely won’t start the match but has proven to be a hugely impactful substitute when called upon and De Bruyne is still capable of a spark of magic to win any game should his experience be called upon. But then you have the likes of Jérémy Doku, Leandro Trossard and Dodi Lukébakio who have the pace and guile to potentially cause an upset in Los Angeles later today.

If nothing else, Belgium’s goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois is a pretty decent last defense should the Spaniards dominate the game as many expect they will. The shot stopper has long been considered one of the best in the world and has previous form of singlehandedly helping whatever team he’s playing for win on the biggest stages (Spanish editor’s note: Take it from me, a madridista who was there, he literally was the reason Real Madrid won the 2022 Champions League final).

Still, the Red Devils know they’re up against it.

“We need to play the perfect game if we want to proceed,” said Lukaku. “Spain is an excellent team. They’ve been playing the same type of football since 2008. They’re well prepared, but we have certain assets that can make life difficult for them. We love the challenge.”

Quote of the day

Kylian Mbappé was busy easing injury fears after France progressed into the semifinals yesterday.

The striker scored and registered an assist against Morocco but limped off the pitch in the 77th minute. It wasn’t clear how exactly he sustained the injury, but he went down wincing. He was then seen with an ice pack around his ankle as he watched the end of the quarterfinal from the bench.

Fortunately, though, it doesn’t appear to be a serious issue and maybe the decision to take him off was just precautionary ahead of the semifinal against either Spain or Belgium on Tuesday.

Paris is brimming with confidence

CNN Creator Matias Grez was out and about in the French capital last night and told us what the mood of the city was like after watching France storm into the semifinals.

Is there any stopping Kylian Mbappé and France at the World Cup? Speaking to French fans in Paris, the answer is a resounding “no.”

However, that doesn’t stem from cockiness or complacency – the fans I spoke to yesterday before the Morocco match knew the North Africans had some chance of winning – but rather from the deep confidence Didier Deschamps’ historic tenure has instilled in the public.

And who can blame them? You can easily argue this team is better than four years ago, or even eight years ago when they won the World Cup. Mbappé is a better player (at least with the national team), Ballon d’Or winner Ousmane Dembélé certainly is, and the addition of Michael Olise has created perhaps the most potent attack in the world.

Even after the sub-par performance against Paraguay – admittedly, the South Americans’ physicality and aggression contributed to that – the fans’ belief never wavered.

At a picturesque fanzone on the River Seine last night, the evening started somewhat quiet and civilized – likely due to some nerves – but a stirring rendition of “La Marseillaise” with the sun setting on Paris soon changed that.

Mbappé’s penalty miss in the first half left Les Bleus fans with their hands on their heads, as the strong Moroccan contingent celebrated wildly. But when the Real Madrid forward finally broke the deadlock in the second half with a trademark shuffle and curled effort, the fanzone erupted, half of which was on a boat that had its buoyancy limit tested to the max.

Chants of “Mbappé Ballon d’Or! Mbappé Ballon d’Or!” went up from the fans and had barely subsided before Dembélé sealed the win.

As one fan told me in the afternoon, Deschamps – who is managing his final World Cup as France manager, no matter the outcome – has created a family out of this team. Several supporters said they want France to win especially for him, which would seal what would no doubt be the greatest tenure of any international manager in history.

After witnessing the confidence the French have in their national team – an alien concept for the defeatist and pessimistic England fan that I am – I wouldn’t feel confident betting against them.

England’s Anthony Gordon responds to viral video

If you haven’t seen this, you need to go find the video – I think it’s my favorite of the tournament so far.

It involved England winger Anthony Gordon and Mexico manager Javier Aguirre during the Round of 16 clash in Mexico City last Sunday.

The moment came after the first hydration break with the players just about to resume play. Aguirre had just been speaking to England star Jude Bellingham – apparently requesting the Three Lions star’s shirt after the match – before he started shouting Gordon’s name.

When Gordon turned around, Aguirre shouted, “F**k you!” before letting out a massive grin. Gordon saw the funny side of the prank and said it offered some light relief to the tension that was building around the game.

“It was a bit of fun,” Gordon said ahead of England’s quarterfinal matchup with Norway tomorrow.

“I’d just run the full-back down the line, so it was a bit of a compliment from him. That’s how I took it anyway.”

Try your hand at CNN’s penalty shootout game

There have been four penalty shootouts so far at this year’s World Cup: Paraguay shocking Germany, Morocco pipping the Netherlands, and Egypt beating Australia all in the Round of 32 and Switzerland beating Colombia in the Round of 16.

Even during the normal flow of games, penalties have been front and center of this tournament with several high-profile misses during regulation time.

Lionel Messi became the first person to miss two spot-kicks in the same World Cup (minus shootouts) when he saw his tame effort saved against Egypt earlier this week.

And then, yesterday, we saw Kylian Mbappé fail to convert from the dreaded 12-yard spot.

These misses all form part of a long history of spot-kicks at the World Cup, which you can learn more about in CNN’s penalty shootout game.

Be the goalkeeper and see if you can stop these five iconic penalties.

The Final Whistle: World Cup Ticket prices are plunging

From CNN’s Jordan Valinsky

The elimination of the United States and Mexico in the World Cup is proving to be a win for fans looking for a deal on tickets.

For Friday’s clash between Spain and Belgium, prices have plunged 65%, according to TickPick, a secondary ticket marketplace. The United States would have played in the game if it had won earlier this week.

Before the loss by the Stars and Stripes on Monday, the cheapest ticket hovered around $3,200 on TickPick. Prices have dropped significantly since then to $1,100 for the afternoon game in Los Angeles.

As for Mexico, its loss on Sunday against England sent prices down 45%, TickPick said. Prices for the cheapest tickets were nearly $4,000 but have since declined to $2,000 for Saturday’s showdown in Miami which now involves the Three Lions and Norway.

“Quarterfinal tickets were priced with the expectation that both Mexico and the US would advance,” Brett Goldberg, TickPick co-CEO, told CNN.

“When they lost on back-to-back days in the Round of 16, there was an immediate and significant drop in demand for their respective quarterfinal matchup.”

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