After suffering a 3-0 defeat against Spain in the Round of 32, Austrian coach Ralf Rangnick didn’t stop short in his praise of his opponents.
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“I can’t remember a single unforced error they made,” Rangnick said after that game. “I dare to say that we didn’t just face the reigning European champions, but perhaps the next World Champion. If you want to make it (to the championship) you really have to win against Spain.”
“If I was Spain’s opponent, I would ask myself, ‘What can they improve?’ Really not much.
“They are a perfect clockwork. We attacked them and challenged them, we were brave, but we could not always prevent this combination tactic. What we saw live, maybe two, three other nations can do. They are the top favorite for me (to win the World Cup). Unique performance, superstars.”
Spain returns to Los Angeles for Friday’s quarterfinal clash against Belgium. The winner advances to Tuesday’s semifinal against either France or Morocco.
Spain has yet to allow a goal this tournament. Anchoring La Roja’s shutout streak is goalkeeper Unai Simón. Simón has now gone 609 World Cup minutes without allowing a goal, dating back to 2022, the longest streak in the history of the World Cup.
“I feel proud of him,” Spain coach Luis De La Fuente said. “I feel like he is a member of my family. I’m very happy for him.”
Simón and De La Fuente’s relationship began in 2015, when Simón, then 18, led the Spanish U-19 team to the European championship. Simón, who was the starting goalkeeper in 2022, allowed just three goals in four games.
“It’s not just about individuals,” De La Fuente said after beating Austria. “It’s about the whole group coming together for that defensive effort.”
Under De La Fuente, Spain has been dominant, going 36 consecutive games unbeaten. The last loss in regulation came in a friendly against Colombia, March 22, 2024.
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Spain’s 2026 World Cup run started with a scoreless draw against Cabo Verde and followed with wins over Saudi Arabia (4-0), Uruguay (1-0), Austria and Portugal (1-0).
After the draw, De La Fuente’s words have become true.
“We’re a team with an extraordinary reliability,” he said. “We’ll be better in the next game, for sure.”
Getting better in the tournament is a good way to describe Belgium.
After consecutive draws against Egypt (1-0) and Iran (0-0) in Group G, Belgium has found their groove, defeating New Zealand 5-1 to finish first in the group, followed by knockout round wins against Senegal (3-2) and the USMNT (4-1). Belgium has scored 12 goals in the last three games.
“I’m very happy and proud of the team,” midfielder Youri Tielemans said after the win over the USMNT. “I’m proud of the performance and the shift that we put in, every single player gave it (his) all, we put in the intensity, we put the quality at times when it was needed.
“It was a proper team performance, very happy with that.”
Belgium lost in the quarterfinals in 2014 and finished in third place in 2018. After a group stage exit in Qatar 2022, Belgium has rekindled that magic from the 2014 and 2018 teams.
“We’re just focused on our job,” Tielemans said. “We know Spain is a tough, tough opponent. …The USA was a big opponent, they had a great World Cup, but we showed that we are ready and we want to perform and go further, so against Spain, it will be no different.”
To have a chance, Belgium will have to shut down Spanish forward Mikel Oyarzabal. Oyarzabal has scored four goals in five games and scored 16 times in his last 17 national team games, officially putting him on Barcelona’s radar as a potential incoming transfer.
“Mikel is a very intelligent person and you see that on the pitch,” De La Fuente said through translation. “He’s one of the best strikers going into space, between lines, dropping to the wing. He’s played right wing, left wing, second striker and center forward and always played well. Very few footballers have his ability to interpret the game.
“He has the humility and understanding to keep his feet on the ground, because this is a merry-go-round. He is an example to everyone and I’m more delighted with him by the day. People who understand football value him extremely highly.”
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FIFA WORLD CUP QUARTERFINAL
Who: Spain vs. Belgium
When: Noon, Friday
Where: Inglewood
TV: FOX, Peacock, Telemundo (Spanish)