Spain v Belgium — Meanest Defence Meets a Leaky Attack
Available in USSpain have conceded twice all tournament and kept four straight clean sheets. Belgium score for fun but leak at the back — and they’re now without Onana. History is one-sided: **Spain 6 wins, Belgium 0** in seven meetings. QF2 is the classic control-v-chaos tie.
The second quarter-final pits the tournament’s meanest defence against its most watchable-but-leaky attack. Spain v Belgium, 15:00 ET Fri 10 July (that’s 05:00 AEST Sat 11 July) at SoFi Stadium, Inglewood LA. Spain open favourites on the back of four straight clean sheets; Belgium arrive unbeaten but shaky and without Onana. Here’s the full QF2 preview for Aussie punters.
Match essentials
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Fixture | Spain v Belgium (QF2) |
| Date | Fri 10 Jul 2026 |
| Kickoff (ET) | 15:00 |
| AEST kickoff | Sat 11 Jul, 05:00 AEST |
| Venue | SoFi Stadium, Inglewood/LA CA |
| Watch (AU) | SBS / SBS On Demand |
Match lines (1X2, decimal, opening)
| Book | 1 (Spain) | X | 2 (Belgium) | As of |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| bet365 | 1.61 | 4.00 | 5.25 (Belgium) | as of 7 Jul 2026 |
Single-book opening price. Treat as a range — a fractional summary quoted Belgium as long as ~5.80. Spain ~1.61, the draw ~4.00, Belgium ~5.25–5.80.
The story so far
Spain — four clean sheets, meanest defence
Spain are W4 D1 through the tournament — the only blemish a 0-0 with Cape Verde — with 9 GF / 2 GA and four straight clean sheets. They edged Portugal 1-0 in the R16. Only two goals conceded all tournament makes them the meanest defence left in the draw. Nico Williams (right adductor) is a doubt but expected in the matchday squad; Yeremy Pino is confirmed fit after a minor shoulder knock.
Belgium — unbeaten but leaky, and without Onana
Belgium are unbeaten but drew three of five group-stage games and needed a 4-1 win over the USA in the R16 to click. W3 D3, 17 GF / 5 GA — 2.83 goals a game in their run, but porous. The big blow: Amadou Onana is OUT with a torn ACL suffered against the USA, ending his tournament. Zeno Debast faces a late fitness test.
Head-to-head — Spain own this fixture
| Meetings | Spain | Belgium |
|---|---|---|
| 7 games | 6 wins | 0 wins |
| Draws | 1 | 1 |
| Goals | 16 | 3 |
Last meeting: 1 September 2016, Spain 2-0. Belgium have never beaten Spain in seven attempts — a striking historical edge behind Spain’s short price.
Key absences & team news
| Player | Status | Impact |
|---|---|---|
| Amadou Onana (Belgium) | OUT — ACL | Tournament over; a major hole in midfield balance |
| Nico Williams (Spain) | DOUBT — adductor | Short of full fitness; expected in the squad |
| Yeremy Pino (Spain) | Available | Minor shoulder sprain confirmed fit |
| Zeno Debast (Belgium) | Late fitness test | Unconfirmed |
Sources: ESPN; SICScore; Goal.com; Sports Mole — early to 9 Jul 2026.
What to back — value read
| Bet | Price | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Spain to win | ~1.61 | Meanest defence left, four clean sheets, 6-0 H2H edge |
| Under 2.5 goals | shop the line | Spain concede almost nothing; low-event control tie likely |
| Spain clean sheet | shop the line | Four straight clean sheets; Belgium without Onana’s balance |
| Belgium draw no bet | ~value | If you fancy the upset, DNB softens the one-sided H2H |
Treat all odds as ranges — single-book opening lines move with team news. Confirm Nico Williams’ fitness before backing Spain markets.
- Spain ~1.61 favourites (bet365); Belgium ~5.25–5.80, the draw ~4.00.
- Spain have the meanest defence left — 2 GA all tournament, four straight clean sheets.
- Belgium are without Onana (ACL) — a major midfield loss for an already-leaky side.
- H2H is one-sided: Spain 6 wins, Belgium 0 in seven meetings.
- Watch Nico Williams’ (adductor) fitness before backing Spain.
More: the quarter-finals overview, the outright & Golden Boot board and the 9 July tips.
