Spain edge Belgium 2-1 to reach World Cup semi-finals as handball rulings and Colombia threats dominate talk

Spain defeated Belgium 2-1 on July 10, 2026, to reach the FIFA World Cup semi-finals, where they will face France on Tuesday. Analysts on the panel said Belgium sat too deep against Spain's possession game, questioned Rudy Garcia's use of Kevin De Bruyne for most of the match, and noted Romelu Lukaku again started ahead of Dodi Lukebakio despite Belgium needing pace on the counter.

Rodrigo Hernández, Aymeric Laporte and Mikel Merino were praised for Spain's performance, while Belgium goalkeeper Senne Lammens drew heavy criticism after failing to hold a long-range strike that Merino converted on the rebound.

Handball controversy also featured heavily. Former FIFA referee and former Jamaica Football Federation referee department head Victor Stewart joined the discussion after debate over a Morocco–France incident in which Adrien Rabiot's arm was struck in the buildup to Kylian Mbappé's goal. Stewart said the contact was accidental, with Rabiot's arm in a natural position, and because Mbappé scored rather than Rabiot, no offence was committed. He applied the same reasoning to an incident in the Belgium match involving Laporte's header and contact with Rodri's arm.

Stewart distinguished deliberate handball from accidental contact, noting defenders and attackers are judged differently and that a second movement toward the ball would constitute an offence. He added that Dwight York's 2006 World Cup handball incident against England would not be penalised under today's interpretation.

Away from the pitch, Colombia forward Jhonathan Campos refused to travel home with his national team after receiving death threats following his missed chance in a last-16 shootout loss to Switzerland. Panelists recalled the 1994 murder of Andrés Escobar after his own goal against the United States and expressed hope authorities would protect Campos and his family.

Looking ahead, Argentina face Switzerland and Norway meet England on July 11 to complete the semi-final lineup alongside Spain versus France.