Spain vs Belgium Player Ratings

Spain 2-1 Belgium Player Ratings: Rodri 8.0/10 Commanding Masterclass Sets Platform as Merino Strikes Again to Send Spain to Semi-Finals

Mohit Tomar

Modified - Jul 10, 2026, 09:13 PM

3 min

Add

As Preferred Source

Summary

Spain reached their first World Cup semi-final in 16 years with a dramatic 2-1 quarter-final victory over Belgium at Los Angeles Stadium. Fabian Ruiz's composed opener and Merino's second successive late headed winner overcame De Ketelaere's brilliant individual equaliser in a genuinely compelling contest between the tournament's two most consistently impressive European sides.
Belgium competed with the extraordinary collective resilience and individual quality that had defined their entire 2026 campaign. De Ketelaere's clinical 41st-minute equaliser and De Bruyne's creative threat throughout confirmed that Tedesco's side deserved considerably more than the defeat that Merino's dramatic late contribution ultimately and decisively produced.
Rodri was the outstanding performer at 8.0/10; his commanding midfield authority, precise distribution under pressure, and consistent tactical discipline the defining foundation of Spain's collective performance and the primary reason De Bruyne and Vanaken could never impose the creative influence Belgium's attacking system demands at this level.

Los Angeles Stadium delivered one of the most compelling World Cup quarter-finals in recent memory as Spain's European champions claimed a second successive dramatic late knockout victory. Merino's 88th-minute rebound strike following a save from Sammens of Cubarsi's long-range strike delivered the decisive moment that sends De la Fuente's side to a first semi-final since their 2010 title-winning campaign, repeating with remarkable precision the exact late formula that had ended Ronaldo's Portugal career in Dallas four days earlier.

For fans tracking Spain's extraordinary tournament consistency, this victory confirms La Roja as the 2026 World Cup's most complete and tactically sophisticated side, their record of conceding just once across five knockout appearances underlining the collective defensive authority that Rodri's midfield control has built. Yamal's decisive corner delivery also made the 17-year-old the youngest player to produce a match-winning quarter-final contribution in World Cup history.

Fabian Ruiz's composed 30th-minute left-footed finish from Pedri's precise inside pass gave the Spain national football team the early platform their possession authority deserved, before Charles De Ketelaere, the most dangerous individual of Belgium's extraordinary knockout run, produced a brilliant 41st-minute equaliser from Doku's precision cross that briefly suggested Tedesco's resilient side might manufacture a third successive comeback of this tournament.

Merino's headed winner confirmed Spain's semi-final place against Norway with the same dramatic late authority that had defined their Portugal quarter-final, while Rodri's commanding tempo control throughout, systematically dismantling De Bruyne's playmaking attempts and distributing with characteristic precision, was the defining tactical reason La Roja's most significant FIFA World Cup result in 16 years was ultimately and comprehensively achieved. Check out the Spain vs Belgium player ratings.

Spain National Football Team Player Ratings vs Belgium

Here are the Spain national football team player ratings from the Spain vs Belgium Player Ratings.

Player Name	Ratings
Unai Simón	6.5
Pedro Porro	7.6
Pau Cubarsí	7.5
Aymeric Laporte	7.1
Marc Cucurella	7.1
Rodri	8.0
Fabián Ruiz	7.6
Lamine Yamal	7.7
Dani Olmo	7.7
Álex Baena	6.5
Mikel Oyarzabal	7.4

Spain National Football Team Player Ratings vs Belgium

Belgium National Football Team Player Ratings vs Spain

Have a look at the Belgium national football team player ratings from the Spain vs Belgium Player Ratings.

Player Name	Ratings
Thibaut Courtois	7.0
Timothy Castagne	6.9
Nathan Ngoy	6.4
Brandon Mechele	6.5
Maxim De Cuyper	6.5
Hans Vanaken	6.2
Nicolas Raskin	6.6
Leandro Trossard	5.4
Kevin De Bruyne	6.7
Jérémy Doku	6.8
Charles De Ketelaere	7.4

Belgium National Football Team Player Ratings vs Spain

Man of the Match

Sportsdunia's Man of the Match goes to Rodri.