World Cup 2026: The Red and the Reds to paint Los Angeles

Everything can hold off! Spain and Belgium are set to clash in the second Quarterfinal of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, taking place at the Los Angeles Stadium this Friday evening. La Roja recently triumphed over their Iberian rivals Portugal, but now they face another formidable opponent in the Red Devils, who dashed the hopes of co-hosts USA. Here’s a detailed look as Spain and Belgium make their way to the City of Angels. Head-to-head Matches played: 23 Spain wins: 12 Belgium wins: 6 Draws: 5 Spain goals: 50 Belgium goals: 27 Spain and Belgium have squared off 23 times in the past, with La Roja securing 12 victories compared to Belgium’s six, while five encounters ended in draws. The teams have faced each other twice in World Cup history: Belgium emerged victorious in the 1986 quarterfinals, winning 5-6 on penalties after a 1-1 draw, while Spain claimed a 2-1 win in their 1990 group stage meeting. Players to watch Spain - Mikel Oyarzabal Tournament stats: - Appearances: 5 - Goals: 4 - Assists: 1 - Yellow/red cards: 0/0 Mikel Oyarzabal was not initially viewed as one of Spain's key threats before the World Cup, but his impressive tally of four goals and one assist in five matches has made him a player to keep an eye on in this quarterfinal. Belgium - Charles De Ketelaere Tournament stats: - Appearances: 4 - Goals: 2 - Assists: 1 - Yellow/red cards: 0/0 While Romelu Lukaku holds the record as Belgium's all-time leading scorer, he has been outshined by Charles De Ketelaere, whose unselfish play earned him two well-executed goals against the United States in the round of 16—a form he aims to carry into the matchup against Spain. Key stats - 0: Spain has yet to concede any goals in the 2026 World Cup. - 10.5: Belgium boasts an expected goals (xG) figure of 10.5 in the tournament, surpassed only by Brazil and France. - 598: Spain averages 598 successful passes per match, ranking just behind Argentina (629). - 6: Belgium averages 6 accurate crosses per match, a figure outdone only by Canada (7.4) and Uruguay (7). Tactical battle Luis de la Fuente’s Spain will implement a 4-3-3 formation focused on control, high pressing, and positional rotations, with Rodri serving as the anchor and wide players like Lamine Yamal stretching the play. Their defensive strength (with five consecutive clean sheets at the tournament) enables them to assert territorial dominance. Rudi Garcia’s Belgium, on the other hand, displays versatility by switching between 4-2-3-1 and 3-4-2-1 formations, aiming for vertical transitions through Leandro Trossard and Charles De Ketelaere. The pivotal clash lies in Spain's structured ball possession versus Belgium's transitional effectiveness: if Spain can disrupt Belgium's organization, they will dictate the match; conversely, if Belgium capitalizes on transition opportunities, they could exploit Spain's high defensive line.