Agencies
INGLEWOOD, CALIFORNIA: Substitute Mikel Merino popped up again to send European champions Spain into a World Cup semi-final with favourites France after a 2-1 win over injury-hit Belgium on Friday.
Fabián Ruiz had given Spain the lead on 30 minutes before Charles De Ketelaere equalized, meaning Unai Simón conceded for the first time in a record 649 World Cup minutes spread over two tournaments.
Merino, just like in the last-16 win over Portugal, came off the bench and soon netted on 88 minutes after a mistake from Belgium reserve keeper Senne Lammens.
"I am so happy, of course," Merino said. "We know we have the whole nation behind us. It will be a tight game against a France side who are a top team."
The mouth-watering meeting with the French near Dallas on Tuesday will be a repeat of the Euro 2024 semi won by La Roja, whose only World Cup title was in 2010 when they played their only previous semi.
France, 1998 and 2018 winners who were runners-up to Argentina four years ago, know they will face their most difficult opponents so far after Spain dominated a Belgian side shorn of two key midfielders in Los Angeles County.
Belgium were hit by captain Youri Tielemans having to pull out of the game during the warm-up with an apparent hamstring problem, adding to Amadou Onana's absence after a knee ligament tear. Jérémy Doku and Kevin De Bruyne - surely in his last World Cup game - came back into the starting line-up.
**Tearful Courtois**
Spain brought in Ruiz for Pedri ahead of a minute's silence for victims of wildfires in Andalusia, where the family of France-born Belgium coach Rudi Garcia also hails from.
Ruiz rewarded Luis de la Fuente for the nod by calmly netting the opener on the half hour after Thibaut Courtois could only parry Dani Olmo's shot.
The lead did not last long, though, as De Ketelaere, who burst onto the scene in the last-16 victory over the US, produced a superb header to finally beat Spain's Simón.
The European titleholders still bossed the rest of the half and should have gone in at least a goal to the good.
In the final game on the US West Coast of this World Cup, De la Fuente made a surprisingly early double substitution on 55 minutes as Pedri and Ferran Torres replaced Ruiz and Álex Baena.
Belgium responded with a triple change of their own, including striker Romelu Lukaku coming on for a last World Cup hurrah.
Spain still did most of the pushing, but the Belgians, including young substitute Joaquin Seys, shackled a jaded Lamine Yamal well.
An injury to a tearful Courtois on 71 minutes then led to Manchester United's Lammens entering the fray in the Belgium goal.
Spain managed to exploit that after the additions of Nico Williams and Merino. Lammens spilled a long-range effort from Pau Cubarsi, and Arsenal's Merino did the rest into the roof of the net.
The midfielder had only been on the pitch for two minutes.
Belgium coach Garcia bemoaned all his injuries, saying De Bruyne was also not fit.
"That was naturally tough for us," he said. "Sometimes details in football count. But I'm still proud of my players; they produced a strong performance."