Manchester United goalkeeper Senne Lammens endured a nightmare cameo as his late error undid Thibaut Courtois’ outstanding performance, condemning Belgium to a 2-1 defeat against Spain in the quarter-finals of the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
The substitute goalkeeper, who replaced the injured Courtois late in the second half, spilled what appeared to be a routine save.
The incident, in the 89th minute, allowed Mikel Merino to pounce from close range and send Spain into the semi-finals, where they will face France.
Belgium had relied heavily on Courtois for much of the contest, with the Real Madrid goalkeeper producing a string of fine saves to frustrate Spain before being forced off through injury.
Luis de la Fuente’s side dominated possession from the opening whistle, with Rodri and Lamine Yamal both threatening before Fabián Ruiz opened the scoring in the 30th minute.
Pedro Porro’s cross found Dani Olmo, whose initial effort was saved by Courtois, but Ruiz reacted quickest to score his first FIFA World Cup goal from the rebound.
Belgium responded against the run of play five minutes before half-time when Charles De Ketelaere headed home Timothy Castagne’s cross to become the first player to score against Spain at the 2026 tournament.
Spain resumed control after the restart, with Yamal at the heart of their attack, forcing another fine save from Courtois and repeatedly stretching the Belgian defence.
Belgium remained dangerous on the counter-attack and almost completed the turnaround when Maxim De Cuyper fired into the side-netting following a flowing move involving Jérémy Doku and Kevin De Bruyne.
The turning point came when Courtois was forced off injured and replaced by Lammens.
Moments later, Pau Cubarsí’s effort was parried straight into the path of Merino, who calmly tapped home from inside the six-yard box to score for the second consecutive match and seal Spain’s place in the last four.
The victory extended Spain’s winning streak over Belgium to six consecutive meetings and set up a semi-final showdown against France.
It also made De la Fuente only the third coach of a European nation to win each of his first seven knockout matches at a major international tournament.
For Belgium, the defeat ended an 18-match unbeaten run and brought a cruel end to Courtois’ heroic display after Lammens’ costly mistake proved decisive.
