Spain Eyes World Cup Semis Against France by Facing Belgium

European champions Spain stand on the brink of a potential World Cup semi-final clash with Kylian Mbappé's France, provided they can overcome Belgium in Friday's quarter-final. The match, held at the spectacular SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles, presents Belgium with the formidable challenge of breaching a Spanish defense that has yet to concede a goal in the tournament.

Should Spain emerge victorious, they will advance to a highly anticipated semi-final against France in Texas, a fixture many are already dubbing the "final before the final." However, Spain must first find a way to score against a Belgian side that started the World Cup slowly but has since found impressive form, highlighted by their commanding 4-1 victory over the USA in the previous round.

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We know that the best version of him, the attacking Lamine, is something that we haven't quite seen yet in this World Cup. Not to the level that we're used to.

While Spain has not displayed the same attacking flair as France, their possession-based football echoes the style that led them to their sole World Cup triumph in 2010. Star attacker Lamine Yamal, who turns 19 next week, has shown flashes of brilliance but has been a peripheral figure at times, scoring only once. Spain coach Luis de la Fuente noted that the team is still awaiting the "best version" of the young Barcelona talent. In Yamal's stead, Mikel Oyarzabal has been prolific, scoring four goals, including two in their dominant 3-0 win against Austria.

Belgium, conversely, has shown remarkable resilience. After a sluggish start, they demonstrated their mettle in a thrilling 3-2 comeback victory against Senegal, with Youri Tielemans and Romelu Lukaku playing key roles. Their subsequent demolition of the USA, a game influenced by a controversial red card cancellation for Folarin Balogun, further underscored their resurgence. This World Cup is likely the last chance for Belgium's "Golden Generation," including Lukaku, Kevin De Bruyne, and Thibaut Courtois, to achieve ultimate glory.

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Everyone is already talking about us going home. But we think that we can do it. We think we can pull it off, and we're going to do everything we can to get to the semis.