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Belgium Gets Serious for World Cup Quarterfinal with Spain After Gleefully Routing US
DraftKings Sportsbook lists Spain as a -160 favorite, and Dimers gives it a 60.2% chance to beat Belgium in regulation.
Spain and Belgium meet in a 2026 World Cup quarterfinal at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California, on Friday, July 10, with the winner advancing to next week's semi-final against either France or Morocco.
The European champions, Spain, reached the quarterfinal as the only side yet to concede a goal, while Belgium enters following a 4-1 victory over the United States and a stirring 3-2 comeback win against Senegal.
Betting markets give Spain a 60.2% win probability, though Belgium faces a significant roster challenge as manager Rudi Garcia must adjust his lineup after Amadou Onana ruptured his ACL.
Courtois acknowledged the challenge, saying, "They're obviously the home team with a full stadium with them." Separately, the Royal Belgian Football Association moved training bases on Wednesday citing facility standard concerns.
For goalkeeper Courtois, the high-stakes match evokes memories of Belgium's 2-1 victory over Brazil eight years ago in Russia, a reminder of past tournament success as the team pursues another deep run.
The toughest challenge of this World Cup awaits the Red Devils on Friday evening. In Los Angeles, Belgium takes on European champions Spain in the quarter-finals, a team labeled as the favorite by almost everyone.