Having knocked over Cristiano Ronaldo’s Portugal, Spain lace up for another competitive fixture, going up against Belgium with an aim to book their tickets to the FIFA World Cup 2026 semi-finals. Barcelona wonderkid Lamine Yamal will headline the knockout clash at the SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles. After playing the tournament opener as a substitute due to injury concerns, he returned to the starting role in the second group-stage game against Saudi Arabia. Since then, the 19-year-old has been a constant fixture in the Spanish attack. He may have struck the net just once in five appearances, but his impact on the field goes well beyond scoring goals.
Will Lamine Yamal Start For Spain vs Belgium?
Linking up with Pedro Porro and Dani Olmo, Yamal has troubled his opponents throughout the competition and now looks forward to continuing his form in the quarter-final against Belgium.
The youngster has regained full fitness after missing the last phase of the 2025-26 season with a hamstring injury. Luis de la Fuente should be happy to have the talented winger in the playing eleven, as Spain would aim for an early breakthrough.
Yamal, however, appeared quiet in the last outing until Portuguese left-back Nuno Mendes was forced to withdraw due to an unfortunate injury. The defender won most of the duels, but after he left, his replacement, Nelson Semedo, was continuously troubled by Yamal. Spain ultimately sealed the game with a stoppage-time strike from Mikel Merino, assisted by Ferran Torres.
What could be Spain Lineup vs Belgium Today?
De la Fuente is expected to keep his faith in the eleven players who started against Portugal. Ferran Torres, however, could be considered for a starting role after his match-defining pass in the quarter-final. Otherwise, Mikel Oyarzabal will continue at the heart of the attack, backed by Dani Olmo, Lamine Yamal and Alex Baena. Pedri and Rodri will control the midfield, while the four-man backline will feature Cubarsi, Laporte, Cucurella and Pedro Porro.
Spain Probable Starting Lineup: Unai Simon, Pedro Porro, Pau Cubarsi, Aymeric Laporte, Marc Cucurella, Rodri, Pedri, Lamine Yamal, Dani Olmo, Alex Baena, Mikel Oyarzabal / Ferran Torres
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