Spain aim for World Cup date with France by beating Belgium

Spain are targeting a World Cup semifinal clash with Kylian Mbappe’s France by beating Belgium in Friday’s quarter-final in Los Angeles. At SoFi Stadium, Spain’s defence has not been breached in the tournament and they will face a Belgium side that has improved sharply after slow group-stage showings. A Spain win would send them to Texas next Tuesday for what many observers see as a “final before the final” against France. Spain’s standout attacker Lamine Yamal, of Barcelona, returns after missing games due to a late-season injury; he has scored once in five matches. Coach Luis de la Fuente cited that Spain have not yet seen the “best attacking Lamine” at this World Cup. Belgium arrive after a run that included a 3-2 win over Senegal and a dominant victory over the USA, continuing the momentum of their late-competition “Golden Generation.”