Belgium looks to upset unbeaten Spain in World Cup quarter-final as Garcia promises attacking intent

Spanish defensive fortress

Spain enter the quarter-final as one of the tournament favourites, having not conceded a single goal in five matches. Goalkeeper Unai Simon has faced only six shots on target throughout the competition. Back-up keeper Joan Garcia explained the team's defensive philosophy ahead of the match:

The important thing for a keeper is to avoid shots rather than to make saves, to prevent the ball from reaching you, whether through defensive cover, coming out for a cross, or intercepting a low cross. These are things that may not appear in the statistics but are important for a goalkeeper and for a team. It shows that the plan we follow during matches is good.

Luis de la Fuente's men topped their group with seven points, then eased past Austria 3-0 and edged Portugal 1-0 with a stoppage-time strike from Mikel Merino, set up by substitute Ferran Torres. Wonderkid Lamine Yamal, who entered the tournament carrying an injury, has scored just once and has occasionally looked frustrated, yet Spain's collective strength has carried them this far.

Belgian resurgence under Garcia

Belgium's path has been far from smooth. After a laboured group stage, the Red Devils ignited in the knockout rounds. They beat Senegal 3-2 after extra time and then dismantled the host nation USA 4-1. Charles De Ketelaere scored twice in that match, while Romelu Lukaku added his third goal of the tournament and 93rd for his country. The Americans had been fired up after FIFA reversed Folarin Balogun's red card under pressure from the White House, but Belgium proved too strong. Garcia's side now boast the tournament's second-most potent attack, behind only France and Argentina, having attempted the most shots and generated the highest expected goals among the last eight.

The French coach, appointed a year and a half ago to initial scepticism, has won admiration in Belgium through daring selections and effective substitutions. He has already used 18 different starters and has not shied away from benching stars like Kevin De Bruyne, who sat out the USA win entirely. Garcia confirmed De Bruyne is fit for the Spain match, but midfielders Amadou Onana and Zeno Debast remain unavailable.

Garcia's plan: attack, not just resist

Facing a Spanish side that controls possession now reinforced by defensive steel, Garcia insists his team will not merely soak up pressure.

We want to exist against the Spaniards. If we just suffer, we will be eliminated. We are Belgium and we have the second-best attack in the tournament. Before the quarter-finals, we are also the team that has taken the most shots and has the highest expected goals. We have qualities to show, even if everyone already sees us eliminated.

The coach acknowledged Spain's strength but pointed to the potential for an upset.

Statistics are made to be challenged. Spain have not conceded a goal yet, but we will do everything to change that.

When asked whether his intimate knowledge of Spanish football made this the easiest game to prepare, Garcia deflected with a story, comparing himself to Obélix falling into the magic potion as a child, and noting his father's footballing background. He also hinted that Lukaku might again come off the bench, calling the striker "one of the best forwards of all time" whose introduction "immediately inspires fear in the opponent."

Belgian diaspora rallies in Barcelona

Ahead of the match, excitement is brewing among Belgium's expatriate community in Spain. In Barcelona's Poblenou neighbourhood, the IMPRFCTO bar has become the gathering point for local Belgians. Reservations are fully booked and the beer taps are ready. Angela, a woman in her thirties from Antwerp, expressed her belief: "I am confident, it will be difficult, but I think Belgium will win." Bar co-owner Max Dopchie described the evening as "the biggest night of our history."

Match details

The quarter-final kicks off at 21:00 CEST (12:00 local time in Los Angeles) on Friday 10 July 2026. In France, it will be broadcast live on M6 and beIN SPORTS 1. The winner faces either France or Argentina in the semi-finals.