#预测世界杯西班牙VS比利时 2026 World Cup quarterfinal: Spain vs Belgium! 3 positives and 2 negatives—can Spain still avoid a shock upset?

A clash of old and new forces: 2026 US-Canada-Mexico World Cup quarterfinal preview

Spain will face Belgium.

Three favorable updates and two unfavorable ones have been leaked.

The Bullsayers (Spain’s nickname) may be facing a situation where they could be shocked and overturned.

At 3:00 a.m. Beijing time on July 11, the 2026 US-Canada-Mexico World Cup quarterfinals will kick off with a highly suspenseful matchup.

Spain, ranked No. 2 in the world, will take on Belgium, ranked No. 9.

This face-off between a new force and an old one has already set fan expectations soaring even before kickoff.

Comparison of the paths to qualification.

First, let’s look at how these two teams advanced—there’s a gulf between them.

Spain in the group stage finished with 2 wins and 1 draw, securing first place in the group.

In the subsequent knockout rounds, they first swept Austria 3-0, and then snatched a 1-0 win over Portugal with a late goal.

After five matches, the team even failed to concede a single goal.

That kind of near-impregnable defensive wall would make opponents’ scalps tingle.

On the other hand, Belgium’s progress has been a bit up-and-down. They edged into top spot in the group with a record of 1 win and 2 draws.

In the round of 16, they fought Senegal for 120 minutes before finally sealing the win.

In the round of 8, however, Belgium suddenly erupted, hammering the host United States 4-1.

Their form has been like a roller coaster.

One side is a possession-and-control champion that treats clean sheets as routine work.

The other is an old-guard unit holding their breath, determined to cause trouble.

Spain’s pros and cons.

Ahead of the match, three positive updates and two negative ones coming out of Spain’s camp have maximized the possibility of a shock result.

The first positive factor is that Spain’s defense has reached a tight, airtight level.

With Rodri anchoring the midfield, it’s like having a movable gate.

The back line’s four players coordinate seamlessly, as if they’re sharing one brain.

Their record of clean sheets across five matches wasn’t built by luck.

It’s based on solid collective defending and positioning—both at the world’s top standard.

This is absolutely their biggest confidence as they go for the title.

The second positive factor is that the wing spark, Nico Williams, has fully recovered from his injury.

Earlier, he missed two key knockout matches due to injury.

Now he has publicly stated his desire to play.

He will most likely be used as a substitute.

His speed and ability to break through can perfectly complement the current wide players.

Once a two-flank attack is put into action, Spain’s offensive patterns become richer by more than one level.

The third positive factor is that the whole squad’s condition and morale are at their peak right now.

Their possession-based system is running so smoothly it’s almost unbelievable.

Whether it’s midfield orchestration or building up territorial attacks, they control the tempo entirely.

They’ve hardly given the opponent any chance to take control of the game.

The team’s overall competitive form has already been adjusted to the best state.

The first negative update: Belgium, now, is no longer that barely-living, half-middling team from the group stage.

After the big win over the United States, the whole squad’s morale was instantly boosted to the max.

After grinding through multiple tough matches, their cohesion and ability to handle pressure have reached the highest point.

With veterans like De Bruyne and Lukaku—once that ruthless edge in the final World Cup campaign kicks in—no strong team would dare underestimate them.

Belgium’s lethal edge.

The second negative update is even more deadly: the tactics Belgium uses happen to be able to hit Spain’s weak points precisely.

When Spain builds possession and control, they must inevitably push higher.

Behind them, the space is already relatively large.

But Belgium just happens to be strong at launching high-speed attacks down the flanks.

Once Doku and Lukebajio’s speed gets going, Spain’s defenders simply can’t keep up.

Add Lukaku’s advantage at attacking the high ball, and this style of wing crosses plus central deadline-point hunting is essentially aiming directly at Spain’s shortcomings.

Overall, everyone now treats Spain as the biggest favorite to advance.

Yet the World Cup has always followed a rule: a big favorite tends to die.

For Spain, whose possession tempo is on the slower side, the thing they fear most is exactly this kind of unreasonable high-speed counterattack.

And with Belgium’s form now fully loaded, they have just sharpened that blade to a shine.

Spain kept a clean sheet for five matches, but in this game, it will most likely be broken.

Even a scenario where they get knocked out after a shock loss would not be at all surprising.