Belgium's golden generation exited the World Cup after a hard-fought 2-1 quarter-final loss to Spain at Los Angeles Stadium on Friday. The defeat marks the end of an era for a squad that has underperformed in past tournaments but showed resilience in their final stand.
Injuries Plague Belgium Before Kick-Off
Manager Rudi Garcia faced significant selection headaches before the match. Amadou Onana was ruled out after tearing his anterior cruciate ligament in the last-16 win over the USA, arriving at the stadium on crutches. Zeno Debast was omitted due to a dispute between Belgium and Sporting over his fitness, having only made the bench once this summer. Minutes before kick-off, Youri Tielemans was scratched after suffering an injury during the warm-up, forcing a late reshuffle.
Doku's Impact and Spain's Response
Jérémy Doku returned to the starting lineup and showed more energy than in the group stage. He exploited space between Pedro Porro and Lamine Yamal, dragging Spain's midfield out of position. However, his proactive defending left him vulnerable when Spain attacked directly. During a hydration break, Porro found space to cross, and Fabián Ruiz scored the opener for Spain.
Spain dominated possession, bypassing Belgium's pressure with quick passes and runs into space. Yet Belgium refused to be passive spectators.
De Ketelaere Equalizes
Charles De Ketelaere, who scored twice in the last 16, demonstrated his improved link-up play with Romelu Lukaku. In the 39th minute, he fell as Aymeric Laporte delayed a throw-in. Two minutes later, Kevin De Bruyne threaded a pass to Timothy Castagne, whose cross was met by a diving De Ketelaere, heading past Pau Cubarsí to equalize with Belgium's first shot on target.
Veterans Enter the Fray
Belgium showed more resolve than in their group-stage exit in Qatar 2022 or the Euro 2024 last-16 loss. Leandro Trossard was substituted after an ineffective hour, replaced by Lukaku, with De Ketelaere moving wide. Axel Witsel also came on, meaning all four veterans from the 2014 World Cup squad were on the pitch simultaneously for the final half-hour.
Courtois Injury Proves Costly
Thibaut Courtois made several vital saves but injured his left hip after a falling save just before the second-half hydration break. He attempted to continue but was forced off in tears in the 71st minute, receiving applause from both sets of fans. Senne Lammens replaced him.
Kevin De Bruyne also struggled with fitness, attempting a speculative lob in the 80th minute before receiving a yellow card for a clumsy challenge on Ferran Torres. Garcia used his final substitution to replace De Bruyne before Spain could exploit his hobbles.
Merino's Winner Sends Spain Through
With Courtois off, Spain capitalized. Cubarsí took a speculative shot from outside the box, which Lammens spilled back into the box. Mikel Merino was quickest to react, powering the ball past a kneeling Lammens to send Spain to their first semi-final since 2010.
End of an Era
While Courtois may feature in the next World Cup as an elder statesman, this tournament marks the final appearance for multiple members of Belgium's golden generation. The old guard fought valiantly, giving Spain a stern test until the final whistle. Although the result does little to erase past underperformance, Garcia's men did themselves proud.
