Overview
- Spain defeated Belgium 2-1 when substitute Mikel Merino tapped in an 88th-minute rebound after replacement goalkeeper Senne Lammens spilled a Pau Cubarsí shot, and Belgium had lost captain Youri Tielemans to a warm-up injury before kickoff.
- France beat Morocco 2-0 as Kylian Mbappé recovered from a VAR-delayed, missed penalty to score a curling opener and Ousmane Dembélé added a second, with Deschamps later downplaying a minor ankle knock to Mbappé.
- Merino has now scored late match-winners off the bench in consecutive knockout games, continuing a pattern of decisive substitute contributions for Spain that has shifted tight matches in their favor.
- Prolonged VAR reviews and refereeing decisions remain a flashpoint after the Mbappé penalty delay, and match-changing injuries to key players — notably Thibaut Courtois and Tielemans for Belgium — have directly altered knockout results.
- Spain and France will meet in the semifinal on Tuesday, July 14 in Arlington, a matchup that spotlights the tournament’s expanded 48-team volatility and the wider stakes around player fitness, officiating and FIFA’s big-stage entertainment plans.