FIFA World Cup 2026: Belgium vow to fight Spain in quarterfinal clash

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Belgium coach Rudi Garcia admitted that his team may be heading into the FIFA World Cup 2026 quarter-final clash against Spain on Friday as the underdogs but said the Belgian Red Devils will do everything to give Spain a ‘run for their money.’ 

“We know we are playing one of the favourites. Spain are probably the best at ball possession and they have been playing in a recognisable way for 15 or 20 years. But we have a great team. We are the second-highest scorers in the World Cup and we are facing the team with the highest expected goals. We think we can do it,” he said.

“Even if we are the underdogs, we will do everything we can to give them a run for their money,” he added.

Spain have not conceded a single goal at this World Cup

The road to the final eight was a roller-coaster ride for the Belgian side, beginning with an opening 1-1 stalemate against Egypt and a scoreless draw with Iran, before they finally found their rhythm in a 5-1 win against New Zealand. Their momentum carried into the knockout phase, where they fought past Senegal 3-2 in the Round of 32 before cruising past co-hosts the United States 4-1 in the Round of 16 to secure their quarter-final spot.

Meanwhile, Spain enters this match in consistent defensive form. The reigning European champions have preserved a completely unbeaten defensive record so far, setting a new tournament record with six consecutive clean sheets at the FIFA World Cup. After comfortably securing the top spot in Group H, they shut down Austria in the Round of 32 before securing a tight victory against Portugal in the Round of 16.

Spain is looking to secure a semi-final berth for the first time since their title win in 2010. Meanwhile, Belgium will depend on their star players like Romelu Lukaku and Kevin de Bruyne to secure an unlikely victory.

(With inputs from ANI)

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