Spain - Belgium: broadcast, lineups and preview

The quarter-final clash between Spain and Belgium at the 2026 World Cup promises to be one of the most compelling matches of the tournament, scheduled for 10 July 2026 at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles. Spain head into this fixture as the tournament's most miserly defence - five clean sheets in five World Cup matches - while Belgium have scored 13 goals across their five matches at the tournament, including seven in the knockout stage. Historically, Spain hold the upper hand: 12 wins, 5 draws, and 5 losses across 22 all-time meetings, with Belgium's last victory over La Roja dating back to the UEFA European Championship in 1980.

Match Info: Spain vs Belgium

Spain face Belgium on Friday, 10 July 2026, with kick-off at 20:00 BST at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, Los Angeles. The match is a quarter-final of the FIFA World Cup 2026, hosted across the United States, Canada and Mexico in the first expanded, 48-team edition of the tournament.

Where to Watch Spain vs Belgium?

UK viewers can follow the match on BBC Radio 5 Live and TalkSport Radio UK for audio coverage. In Ireland, RTÉ2 shows the game on TV while RTÉ Player streams it online, with radio commentary also available on BBC Radio 5 Live and TalkSport.

In the United States, the match is broadcast on FOX in English and Telemundo in Spanish on TV, while streaming is available via Fubo TV, Peacock, FOX One and SiriusXM FC for radio. Spanish viewers can watch on free-to-air TVE La 1, with additional options on DAZN España, fuboTV España, Movistar+ and RTVE Play online. Belgium is covered by VRT 1 and La Une on TV, and online through VRT MAX, RTBF Auvio Direct, Sporza Live Streaming and Proximus Pickx.

German fans can tune in to free-to-air ZDF on TV or ZDF Live Stream and MagentaTV online. In Canada, the match airs across CTV and multiple TSN channels (TSN1, TSN3, TSN4, TSN5) on TV, with online options through TSN+ and RDS.ca. Australia can watch on SBS TV with SBS On Demand streaming available.

Match between Spain and Belgium - Preview

This quarter-final pitches the tournament's meanest defence against one of its most potent attacks, with a place in the World Cup semi-finals - and a shot at the title - on the line at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles.

Spain have been the model of consistency under Luis de la Fuente: a 0-0 opening draw with Cape Verde proved a minor blip before emphatic wins over Saudi Arabia (4-0), Uruguay (1-0), Austria (3-0 in the Round of 32) and Portugal (1-0 in the Round of 16 via a stoppage-time Mikel Merino header). Goalkeeper Unai Simón broke the all-time World Cup clean-sheet record, going 609 consecutive minutes without conceding across the 2022 and 2026 editions. With Lamine Yamal and Nico Williams causing havoc wide, and Rodri pulling strings in midfield, La Roja look capable of winning this tournament.

Belgium, meanwhile, grew into the tournament in impressive fashion. A modest group stage - draws against Egypt (1-1) and Iran (0-0) before a resounding 5-1 win over New Zealand - gave way to a dramatic extra-time victory over Senegal (3-2) and then a stunning 4-1 demolition of co-hosts USA in the Round of 16. What made the win over the USA all the more impressive was that Kevin De Bruyne and Jeremy Doku started on the bench - Charles De Ketelaere (two goals), Hans Vanaken and Romelu Lukaku did the damage. Belgium's depth and experience, with 89-goal Lukaku and De Bruyne available to influence games, make the Red Devils a genuinely dangerous opponent.

Head-to-Head: Spain vs Belgium

Spain hold a commanding advantage in the all-time head-to-head record, with 12 wins against Belgium's 5, from 22 meetings stretching back to 1921. Belgium's last victory over Spain came 46 years ago at UEFA Euro 1980 - La Roja have gone unbeaten in their last 5 encounters against the Red Devils.

The five most recent meetings between Spain and Belgium:

• 01 Sep 2016 - International Friendly - Belgium 0:2 Spain
• 05 Sep 2009 - FIFA World Cup Qualifier - Spain 5:0 Belgium
• 15 Oct 2008 - FIFA World Cup Qualifier - Belgium 1:2 Spain
• 29 Mar 1995 - UEFA Euro Qualifier - Spain 1:1 Belgium
• 17 Dec 1994 - UEFA Euro Qualifier - Belgium 1:4 Spain

Spain - Recent Form

Spain arrive at this quarter-final as the most defensively imperious side in the tournament: 5 clean sheets from 5 World Cup 2026 matches, 9 goals scored, and not a single goal conceded - a record that stands alone in World Cup history.

La Roja's route to the last eight started with a cautious 0-0 against Cape Verde, but they quickly found their groove. Saudi Arabia were swept aside 4-0, Uruguay beaten 1-0, and Austria eliminated with a commanding 3-0 in the Round of 32, with Oyarzabal netting twice. The Round of 16 showdown with Portugal was the tournament's most talked-about match: a goalless 89 minutes were settled by Mikel Merino's late header, sending Cristiano Ronaldo's Portugal out and Spain through.

The numbers behind Spain's run are extraordinary. Mikel Oyarzabal has 4 goals in this tournament - one short of the Spanish single-tournament World Cup record set by Emilio Butragueño (1986) and David Villa (2010). The platform for Spain's success has been built by Unai Simón's record-breaking goalkeeping, with Spain becoming the first team in World Cup history to keep 5 consecutive clean sheets in a single edition of the tournament.

Belgium - Recent Form

Belgium enter this quarter-final as the tournament's most dangerous attacking force in the knockout rounds, having scored 13 goals in 5 World Cup 2026 matches and conceded just 5 - with their best performance still potentially ahead of them.

The Red Devils had a mixed group stage - a 1-1 draw against Egypt and a goalless stalemate with Iran raised eyebrows, before a 5-1 thrashing of New Zealand cleared the path to the knockout rounds. In the Round of 32, Belgium edged Senegal 3-2 after extra time in a dramatic encounter. The performance that announced Belgium as a genuine contender came in the Round of 16 against USA: De Ketelaere scored twice inside the opening 33 minutes, Vanaken added a third and Lukaku finished the job in stoppage time for a dominant 4-1 win.

The potency of Belgium's bench remains their greatest asset going into this quarter-final. Romelu Lukaku, just 3 goals short of becoming only the third player after Ronaldo and Messi to score 90 international goals, and Kevin De Bruyne both have the quality to change a match in an instant. Under coach Rudi Garcia, Belgium have shown the resolve and firepower to compete with any team in this tournament.

Facts and Statistics

Spain and Belgium have a history dating back to 1921, with 22 international meetings across friendlies, World Cup qualifiers and major tournament stages. Their encounters at the World Cup carry particular weight - including Belgium's memorable 1986 quarter-final win on penalties - but the modern era has strongly favoured Spain.

• Spain kept 5 consecutive clean sheets at the 2026 World Cup, the first team in World Cup history to achieve this feat in a single tournament edition - goalkeeper Unai Simón has gone 609 minutes without conceding across two World Cups.
• Mikel Oyarzabal leads Spain's 2026 World Cup scoring with 4 goals, one short of the Spanish single-tournament record shared by Emilio Butragueño (1986) and David Villa (2010).
• Belgium have scored 13 goals in five matches at the 2026 FIFA World Cup, including seven in the knockout stage (3-2 against Senegal and 4-1 against the USA).
• Spain are unbeaten in their last 5 meetings against Belgium, with 3 wins and 2 draws - Belgium's last win over La Roja came in 1980 at UEFA Euro.
• Spain have won 12 of their 22 all-time meetings against Belgium, with Belgium winning just 5 - the most lopsided of any major nation pair in this quarter-final bracket.