Spain edge Belgium 2-1 to set World Cup semi-final with France

Spain defeated Belgium 2-1 to book a World Cup semi-final against France next Tuesday, while Argentina face Switzerland and Norway meet England in the remaining quarter-final ties that will complete the last four.

On CVM’s Fan Central Extra Time, former FIFA and Jamaica Football Federation referee Victor Stewart backed the on-field ruling that Adrien Rabiot’s contact in the buildup to Kylian Mbappé’s goal against Morocco was not a handball offence. Stewart said the incident was a classic accidental handball: Rabiot’s arm was in a natural position, there was no time to react after the ball deflected, and because a teammate finished rather than Rabiot himself scoring immediately after the contact, the laws did not require the goal to be disallowed. He drew the same distinction for a contested moment involving Rodri and Aymeric Laporte in the Spain–Belgium match, saying an unexpected deflection with no second movement of the arm is not deliberate handling.

Panellists also argued Belgium sat too deep against Spain’s possession. Kimani Sullivan criticised coach Rudi Garcia for leaving Kevin De Bruyne on for about 88 minutes and for limited use of pace on the break, noting the absence of Youri Tielemans from the midfield pivot. Others credited Belgium for moments of resistance but said a low block for most of the match invited Spain’s line-breaking runs, including Fabian Ruiz’s involvement in the opener, and left the Red Devils exposed once wing-backs and midfielders pushed high.

In the show’s fame-and-shame segment, Sullivan put Rodri Hernández first for controlling Spain’s midfield with Pedri on the bench, Laporte second for his defending, and Mikel Merino third for his impact in the box. Goalkeeper Senne Lammens was named for shame after a mishandled effort from distance that led to a rebound finish, though Jordan Fort noted rebound goals had also troubled Thibaut Courtois and suggested defensive lapses shared the blame.

Away from the pitch, the panel discussed reports that Colombia’s Jaminton Campaz declined to board the team flight home after receiving death threats following a late miss and Switzerland’s penalty-shootout win in the round of 16 — a reminder of Andrés Escobar’s 1994 murder after an own goal. They also noted Fox’s US media rights for 2026, secured at about US$485 million under an extension from earlier World Cup deals, far below current market value estimated near US$1.5 billion.