Debast out of Belgium quarter-final as de la Fuente demands more from Yamal

Debast out, Belgium missing key defender for Friday

Belgium will face you without Zeno Debast. Sporting Lisbon have blocked the centre-back from playing in the World Cup quarter-final Friday evening (1). Debast is a starter for Belgium and his absence reshapes their backline.

Belgium 4–1 USA, now they carry Balogun momentum

Belgium reached this quarter-final by dismantling the USA 4–1 (2). Romelu Lukaku scored and the story around Folarin Balogun, whose red card was controversially withdrawn after Trump and Infantino intervened, has given the squad a lift. Coach Rudi Garcia says the team is drawing energy from it. "Everyone is talking about us going home but we can do it," Garcia said (2).

De la Fuente: the best Lamine is still coming

Luis de la Fuente put it bluntly ahead of Friday's quarter-final. Lamine Yamal is fit, he is ready, but "we have not seen the best Lamine yet" (4) (5) (6). The Spain coach wants more from the winger. "He has incredible potential," de la Fuente said, and the message is clear: the kid who lit up the last tournament needs to find another gear (4).

De la Fuente talks Scaloni, Alfaro, and group unity

De la Fuente also spoke about what he shares with Argentina's Lionel Scaloni and Ecuador's Gustavo Alfaro: the belief that squad unity beats anything (5). He sees himself in that mould, a coach who builds tight groups.

Lukaku: we are well prepared

Romelu Lukaku is not coming in quiet. "We are very well prepared and we have the tools to face them," the Belgium striker said ahead of the quarter-final (7). He knows Spain have not conceded a goal all tournament.

Garcia plays the underdog card

Rudi Garcia leaned into it. "Everyone already sees us eliminated," he said before the quarter-final (8). Belgium beat Senegal and the USA to get here. Garcia wants his team to use the skepticism as fuel.

Mbappé is already looking past you

France beat Morocco in their quarter-final, and Kylian Mbappé does not care who comes next. "Me da igual si es España o Bélgica," he said in Spanish: it makes no difference to him (9). The winner of your match faces France in the semi-final.

Fan-reaktioner

Spain fans on Reddit have latched onto one stat above all: your team still has not conceded a single goal at this tournament, while the 2026 World Cup is on track to be the highest-scoring in decades (2.92 goals per match). The pride is audible. Meanwhile, Morocco chatter has crept in, with one thread claiming Morocco already has the votes to snatch the 2030 World Cup final hosting rights from Spain. Join the discussion