Reigning European champions Spain continue their World Cup quest on Friday when they face Belgium in the quarter-finals in Los Angeles.
Luis de la Fuente's men ended the World Cup dreams of Cristiano Ronaldo on Monday when a Mikel Merino goal secured a 1-0 victory over Portugal.
Belgium thumped United States 4-1 in their last-16 clash despite the co-hosts having Folarin Balogun in their starting XI after President Donald Trump asked Fifa to reconsider the striker's one-match ban, which they promptly did – much to the Reds Devils' fury.
We pick out the main talking points ahead of the match in California.
Rock-solid Spaniards
While the title-winning Spanish sides of years gone by have been characterised by super-slick tiki-taka football – inspired by likes of Xavi Hernandez and Andres Iniesta – the 2026 version has been on a different kind of foundation.
Spain are the only team left in the tournament who have yet to concede a goal and have become the first team in World Cup history to keep a clean sheet in six matches on the spin and are now unbeaten in 35 games in row.
In fact, the team as a whole have gone 10 hours and nine minutes since Japan's Ao Tanaka scored against them during the 2022 World Cup where Spain were knocked out by Morocco on penalties in the last-16 after the game ended goalless after extra-time.
It is also now a remarkable 609 minutes since goalkeeper Unai Simon last conceded, having beaten the previous all-time record set by Italy's Walter Zenga (517 minutes) during the current finals.
“This is the result and fruits of collective work – great defensive solidity of course,” said De La Fuente after beating Portugal. “There is solidarity, effort, sacrifice and everybody runs for one another … but what is beautiful is the attitude these footballers show, they are committed to the cause.”
Star Yamal still to shine
At the other end of the pitch, Mikel Oyarzabal has provided the firepower with four goals – making it 17 in his last 17 starts for La Roja – although the Real Sociedad attacker was guilty of a horrible miss early in the Portugal game.
But Spain – and the rest of the world – are still waiting for teenage wonder-winger Lamine Yamal to come alive and make his mark in North America.
The Barcelona star, who sparkled in unforgettable fashion during Spain's charge to the Euro 2024 crown, came into the tournament having missed the tail end of the La Liga season with a hamstring injury, having contributed 16 goals and 12 assists to Barca's title-winning campaign.
It meant Yamal would only appear as a second-half substitute in Spain's disappointing opening goalless draw with minnows Cape Verde and while the 18-year-old has started every game since, he has only one goal and no assists to his name.
In an interview with Mundo Deportivo this week, Yamal admitted he was still searching for top gear. “I’d been out of action for nearly two months, and it’s not the same as when you’ve played seven matches in a row.
“Just keep touching the ball, keep playing, keep racking up the minutes, and, obviously, that [big] match will come.”
Belgium take aim at Fifa again
It has been a turbulent few days for the Belgium squad following the Balogun controversy, which the Red Devil players used as a motivational tool in their drubbing of the US.
“A lot has happened off the pitch over the last two days,” said midfielder Nicolas Raskin. “There was a sense of injustice within the squad, and we were determined to respond on the field.”
The Belgian federation are continuing to chase for an explanation from Fifa about the suspension of Balogun’s one-game red card ban that has been widely criticised across the globe.
And now Belgium has once again taken aim at football's world governing body, this time over the state of their training facilities in Los Angeles.
The Royal Belgian Football Association (RBFA) claimed that the playing surface at Loyola Marymount University (LMU) “did not meet the minimum standards required for our training session” and asked Fifa to sanction a change of base, a request that was granted.
Belgium will now prepare for the game at MLS side LA Galaxy’s training facilities in Carson.
Supersub Lukaku
Questions were being asked about the fitness of Romelu Lukaku after being named in Rudi Garcia's World Cup squad – not least by the Belgium manager himself.
The Napoli striker had made just seven substitute appearances totalling 69 minutes during an injury-ravaged season, having spent the previous two months recovering from a hamstring problem.
“Romelu has recovered, but he's out of shape, and I'm not sure he'll be able to start the matches. But he's our best striker, Belgium's all-time leading scorer,” said Garcia.
As it turned out, Garcia's call has proven a savvy one with Lukaku turning into the ultimate impact substitute for Belgium, coming off the bench to score against New Zealand, Senegal and the US.
Lukaku, 33, became only the second Belgian player to have found the back of the net in three World Cup games on the spin, after Marc Wilmots at the 2002 tournament in South Korea and Japan.
Only Cameroon legend Roger Milla has scored more at a World Cup as a substitute (four at Italia '90) with Lukaku now sitting on his own in second place.
