De Ketelaere scores with a header and Belgium draws with Spain in the 2026 FIFA World Cup
An exciting duel marks the race for a place in the semi-finals of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, with Spain and Belgium locked in an intense battle at Los Angeles Stadium. The teams reach the end of the first half with a score of 1-1, promising many emotions ahead, in a decisive clash for the tournament.
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Tribute at the start of the game and the first moves of the match
Even before the ball rolled, a minute of silence marked the Los Angeles Stadium, in a heartfelt tribute to the victims of the recent fires that hit southern Spain. After the tribute, the opening whistle kicked off the match, with both teams chasing the ball in search of an advantage.
The first minutes of the match were characterized by a series of inaccurate passes from both sides, demonstrating initial nervousness or a search for tactical adjustments. After just two minutes, a pass to Courtois resulted in a throw that was too long, giving Spain a throw-in. In the next minute, Dani Olmo managed to escape the marking with an impressive dribble and advanced through midfield, but the play did not have effective continuity, showing the difficulty in penetrating defenses.
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In the fourth minute, Spain striker Lamine Yamal pedaled towards De Cuyper, trying to play with Dani Olmo, but the pass was intercepted. Then, Doku, from the Belgian national team, came back, dribbling past two opponents to start the ball for his team. A passing error by Pedro Porro in the fifth minute, trying to trigger Rodri, was quickly offset by a mistake by De Cuyper, who failed to find De Ketelaere in the center circle, highlighting the challenges in constructing plays.
Balance and missed opportunities in the first twenty minutes
The match was still very close. In the seventh minute, another wrong pass from the Spanish team in midfield was not taken advantage of by Belgium, as Cubarsí prevented De Bruyne from progressing. Lamine Yamal, receiving on the left, behind Castagne, was brought down by Trossard, conceding a dangerous free kick for Spain in the eighth minute. Afterwards, a cross that went past everyone in the Belgian area resulted in Rodri taking advantage of the rebound to attempt the first shot, but the ball was blocked by the defense.
After ten minutes, Doku was brought down by Pedro Porro in midfield, resulting in a foul for Belgium. At 11, Laporte threw himself into a cart to prevent De Ketelaere from receiving a stretched pass from Raskin. Baena, at 12, received a good pass from the ball and tried to finish, which hit Ngoy, leading the Spanish to complain about a penalty, but the referee did not consider the infraction.
The game continued with moments of great intensity. In the 13th minute, Doku fired a counterattack, leaving two players behind, and gave De Ketelaere a shot, which was blocked by Cucurella. Yamal and Doku engaged in a dribbling duel at 14, with the Spaniard having the upper hand by disarming and dribbling his opponent. Dani Olmo controlled the ball inside the area at 15, but was unable to adjust himself for the shot and was disarmed. Shortly afterwards, Pedro Porro tried to reverse the game for Baena, but put too much force on the ball, which went over the baseline.
The calmness of Unai Simón, Spain’s goalkeeper, was put to the test in the 18th minute, when he played a short ball to take De Ketelaere out of the game. At 19, Rodri intercepted a pass from De Bruyne, who was trying to play De Cuyper, keeping Spain in possession. A dangerous move arose in the 20th minute, when Raskin hesitated in the middle, and the ball fell clear to Yamal, who risked a shot from outside the area, but the shot went to the left of the goal, posing a lot of danger for the Belgian goal.
First goals and incidents of the heated match
In the 21st minute, a simple passing error by unmarked Doku returned the ball to Spain on a throw-in. Then, Dani Olmo left the ball for Yamal, who took out De Cuyper with a pen on the baseline, but the Belgian defense managed the surplus with Mechele, preventing progression. Spain demonstrated how to build its plays well on the right side.
In the 23rd minute, a hydration break was granted by the referee, allowing players from both teams to cool down in Los Angeles, given the weather. The game resumed after this interruption. Until then, Spain had been attacking more, with greater possession of the ball and breaks in marking on the sides, but goalkeeper Courtois had not yet made any significant save. At 27, Yamal crossed in the trivela area, but the effect of the ball prevented Baena’s control, and it ended up in the hands of Courtois.
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In the 29th minute of the first half, the score was opened by Spain! Pedro Porro crossed the line with Yamal and crossed behind. Courtois made a great save from Dani Olmo’s shot, but the rebound fell perfectly to Fabián Ruiz, who didn’t waste the opportunity and found the net, putting Spain ahead.
After the goal, Castagne collided with Cucurella in the 30th minute and fell bleeding, needing medical attention. The Spaniard’s arm hit the Belgian player’s face. Castagne got the worst of it and, according to FIFA’s new rule, had to be off the field for a minute, leaving Belgium with one player less temporarily. At 32, Yamal, in yet another individual play, escaped Doku’s marking, dribbled past Raskin and was brought down at the edge of the area, guaranteeing a dangerous free kick for Spain.
Courtois, once again, appeared in the 33rd minute! Yamal took the free kick into the corner of the goalkeeper, who hit it forward. The rebound went towards Fabián Ruiz, but the Belgian defense managed to clear the danger. An unusual move occurred at 34, when Dani Olmo was making a play in the middle, and referee Michael Oliver ended up stepping in front, colliding with the number 10, in a clear obstruction. Baena, at 35, achieved beautiful control inside the area and tried to finish, but Castagne threw himself into the cart. However, the referee had already stopped the play due to the Spaniard’s hand.
Spain tried to build a play by playing from foot to foot at 37, but a letter from Oyarzabal on the table with Dani Olmo was intercepted by the Belgian defense. At 38, Lamine Yamal again went after Doku and got the better of it, making a short dribble and trying to finish from the edge of the area, but the ball went out to the right of the goal, dangerously.
Belgium’s reaction and the timeline of crucial moments
In the 39th minute of the first half, Belgium equalized! The Belgian team worked the ball on the right, Castagne left it with De Bruyne, and the cross was perfect for De Ketelaere to head in. No chances for Unai Simón, and the score remained the same in Los Angeles. This was the first goal conceded by Spain in the World Cup and the third scored by De Ketelaere in the tournament.
Shortly before the whistle for the end of the first half, in the 42nd minute, Cubarsí received a yellow card for bringing down De Bruyne in a Belgium counterattack. In the 43rd minute, De Cuyper fouled Yamal in midfield, and Spain regained possession. At 46, Pedro Porro received the ball on the right and tried to finish, but the ball hit aimlessly and went out along the baseline, ending Spain’s chances in stoppage time.
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Minute by minute: first half timeline
Follow the main moves that moved the first stage of the match:
- 29′– Spain goal: Fabián Ruiz takes advantage of Courtois’ rebound and opens the scoring.
- 32′– Dangerous foul: Lamine Yamal is brought down at the edge of the area, creating danger.
- 34′– Great save: Courtois saves Belgium by defending Yamal’s free kick.
- 39′– Belgium goal: De Ketelaere equalizes with a header after a cross from De Bruyne.
- 42′– Yellow card: Cubarsí is warned for a foul on De Bruyne.
The score of 1-1 at the end of the 46 minutes of the first half keeps the game completely open. The second half is expected to bring even more excitement, with both teams seeking victory to advance to the 2026 FIFA World Cup. The match continues and promises to be electrifying.
