Omar Faruk

Former world champions Spain have marched into the semifinals of the FIFA World Cup after a hard-fought 2-1 victory over Belgium, ending a 16-year drought. The Spanish side last reached this stage back in 2010, where they went on to defeat the Netherlands 1-0 in the final to lift their maiden World Cup trophy.

Spain dictated the tempo from the opening whistle with dominant possession football and quickly reaped rewards. While Belgium managed to claw their way back with an equalizer before the break, a relentless second-half tactical battle was eventually settled by a late dramatic winner from Luis de la Fuente’s men.

Starting in place of Pedri, Fabian Ruiz did not take long to reward his manager's faith. In the 30th minute, the midfielder put Spain ahead following a brilliant team move. Dani Olmo unleashed a powerful strike from just outside the box, which Belgian goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois managed to parry but could not fully clear. Ruiz reacted fastest to the rebound, firing a shot that took a cruel deflection off a Belgian defender and sailed into the back of the net.

Stung by the opener, Belgium responded with intent, building a quick counter-attack that caught Spain’s notoriously rigid defense off guard. In the 41st minute, Charles De Ketelaere produced a clinical finish to beat Spanish shot-stopper Unai Simon, marking the very first goal Spain has conceded in this tournament. De Ketelaere's equalizer sent both heavyweights into the tunnel level at 1-1 at halftime.

Belgium suffered a catastrophic blow in the second half when their star goalkeeper Courtois was forced off the pitch due to an injury. Young keeper Senne Lammens was subbed on to face the daunting task of resisting a wave of Spanish attacks.

As the match seemed destined for extra time, the breakthrough arrived in the 88th minute. Following a frantic scramble inside the Belgian penalty box, the ball fell kindly to Spanish midfielder Mikel Merino. Maintaining his composure amidst the chaos, Merino slotted a precise shot straight down the middle of the goal to restore Spain's lead.

Spain successfully held off Belgium's final desperate surges in stoppage time to secure a historic 2-1 victory and book their spot in the final four.