Spain tackle Belgium in this all-European World Cup 2026 quarter-final at the SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles on Friday night (8pm UK time), with the winner facing France in the semi-finals.
Spain ended the World Cup career of Cristiano Ronaldo in the last-16, while Belgium booted out co-hosts the United States.
Here are the key World Cup 2026 stats to look out for tonight.
Spain vs Belgium Stats
Spain’s remarkable run
- Spain are bidding to extend their unbeaten run to 36 matches in all competitions – excluding penalties – as they look to edge closer to Italy’s World record run of 37 matches undefeated.
Spain’s late 1-0 triumph over Portugal extended their incredible unbeaten streak to 35 matches in normal time or extra time (excluding penalty shoot-outs), with La Roja winning 26 and drawing nine during this remarkable run.
That last-16 victory saw Spain equal their own national record unbeaten streak of 35 matches, set between 2007 and 2009, and they can now make history against Belgium.
Should they avoid defeat in 90 or 120 minutes, Spain would set a new national record and move them one step closer to Italy’s all-time World record of 37 consecutive matches unbeaten.
READ – Spain vs Belgium: predictions, best bets, odds and stats
Belgium’s quietly impressive record
- Belgium have only lost four of their last 27 matches at the World Cup.
Belgium are still searching for their first World Cup triumph, with their best-ever finish coming in 2018 when they claimed third place. However, the Red Devils have proven to be a difficult side to beat on football’s biggest stage, suffering just four defeats in their last 27 World Cup matches.
They have also won 14 of their last 20 games at the tournament, including each of their last three matches at the 2026 World Cup. They head into their clash with Spain in excellent form too, having gone 18 matches unbeaten in all competitions since March 2025.
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Spain clean sheet vs Belgium attack
- Spain are bidding to record a record-extending seventh successive World Cup clean sheet.
Spain made World Cup history against Portugal by becoming the first country to keep six consecutive clean sheets at the World Cup; combining five shutouts so far in 2026 with their final match of the 2022 edition. La Roja have now gone 701 minutes of World Cup football without conceding.
Luis de la Fuente’s side are yet to let in a goal during this tournament, facing just 29 shots across their five matches, while goalkeeper Unai Simon has only been required to make six saves. Remarkably, the Athletic Club player has faced just one shot on target in the first half across all five games combined.
However, Spain’s remarkable defensive numbers could face a tough examination against Belgium, who are the second-highest scorers at the 2026 World Cup with 13 goals (after five matches), scoring 12 goals across their last three games.
The Red Devils have also registered the most shots in the tournament so far (107) and the most within the box (70). On top of that, Charles De Ketelaere hit form with a brace against the US, while they have ammunition off the bench in Romelu Lukaku who has scored in each of his last three games as a substitute.
Super Sub Lukaku
- Romelu Lukaku has three goals as a substitute this tournament and could match Roger Milla’s record of four goals off the bench at a single World Cup.
Romelu Lukaku has come off the bench to score in each of his last three games in victories over New Zealand, Senegal, and the United States.
This has propelled Lukaku’s tally to 93 goals for Belgium, which puts him fifth on the all-time international goalscorers list, needing two more goals to draw level with India’s Sunil Chhetri on 95.
Spain are yet to concede at this tournament, keeping five clean sheets, but on current form Lukaku could well cause La Roja problems. If he can continue his remarkable impact as a substitute, the striker would equal Roger Milla’s World Cup record of four goals scored off the bench for Cameroon at a single World Cup.
Mikel Oyarzabal eyeing elite company
- Mikel Oyarzabal (4 goals) is one goal away from equalling Emilio Butragueno (1986) and David Villa (2010) for the most goals (5) scored for Spain at a single World Cup.
Mikel Oyarzabal has scored 17 goals in his last 17 starts for Spain, and is his country’s top scorer this tournament with four goals in five games, having netted braces against Saudi Arabia and Austria.
The Real Sociedad skipper now sits just one strike shy of joining Emilio Butragueno (1986) and David Villa (2010) as the only Spaniards to score five goals at a single World Cup.
Belgium’s bogey team
- Belgium have won zero and lost seven of their last eight matches against Spain dating back to a penalty shoot-out victory in the quarter-finals of the 1986 World Cup.
If Belgium are to progress through to their second semi-final in eight years they must do something they’ve not done in 40 years: overcome Spain.
Belgium have failed to win any of their last eight matches against Spain, seven of which they’ve lost, including the last five in a row. The last time they beat La Roja in 90 minutes dates back even further to 1980 when they won 2-1 in the group stages of the European Championships.
However, on a more positive note, they did eliminate Spain back in the quarter-finals of 1986 World Cup when they held their nerve to triumph 5-4 on penalties.
Spain’s jittery quarter-final record
- Spain have lost four of their five World Cup quarter-finals.
Spain have only ever reached one World Cup semi-final. A surprising statistic.
La Roja have come unstuck in four of their five quarter-finals at the tournament, which includes a penalty shoot-out defeat to Belgium 40 years ago. While they did reach the final four in 1950, that tournament used a final group stage rather than a traditional knockout semi-final format.
On the plus side, their only quarter-final triumph came in their most recent appearance at this stage, when they defeated Paraguay 1-0 in 2010 en route to lifting the World Cup trophy for the first time in their history.
Can anyone stop Luis de la Fuente?
- Spain manager Luis de la Fuente has yet to lose any of his 12 matches at major tournaments.
Spain head coach Luis de la Fuente is still unbeaten at major tournaments, guiding La Roja through his first 12 matches across the European Championship and World Cup without tasting defeat.
De la Fuente led Spain to Euro 2024 glory with a seven-game unbeaten run and has since overseen an impressive start to his first World Cup campaign, taking Spain through their opening five matches without defeat.
Victory over Belgium would see De la Fuente become just the third manager of a European country to win each of his first seven knockout matches at major tournaments after Italy’s Vittorio Pozzo and his fellow Spaniard Vicente del Bosque.
At the time of writing, the 65-year-old boasts an outstanding 74.47% win rate as Spain manager, recording 35 victories, 10 draws and only two defeats in his first 47 matches in charge.
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