Fabián Ruiz broke a scoreless deadlock for Spain against Belgium on Friday, pouncing on a rebound to give La Roja the lead in the FIFA World Cup 2026 quarterfinal and move the Spanish one win from a semifinal date with France.
The finish came from a midfielder who wasn’t even supposed to start. Luis de la Fuente benched Pedri in favor of Ruiz for the knockout match, and the decision paid off before the half-hour mark at Los Angeles Stadium in Inglewood, California.
Fabián Ruiz’s Goal Caps Spain’s Buildup Play
The sequence began on Spain’s right flank, where Lamine Yamal found fullback Pedro Porro down the line, according to CNN Sports. Porro’s low cross found Dani Olmo, whose first-time effort was parried by Belgium goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois. Ruiz arrived a step ahead of the Belgian defense to clean up the rebound and put Spain ahead 1-0.
It marked Ruiz’s first goal of the tournament, and it validated de la Fuente’s call to start him ahead of Pedri, one of the sport’s most decorated young midfielders. Belgium, already missing captain Youri Tielemans, entered the match short-handed. Tielemans pulled up with a hamstring injury during warmups, forcing Hans Vanaken into the Belgian midfield on short notice.
Spain entered the quarterfinal without allowing a goal at the tournament, extending a shutout streak that traces back to the 2022 World Cup. That defensive run has become the foundation of a Spanish squad built around Yamal’s creativity and a midfield trio capable of controlling matches for long stretches without needing to force the issue. The winner of Friday’s match advances to face France, which eliminated Morocco 2-0 a day earlier and now awaits the winner in the semifinals.
A quarterfinal berth already represents Spain’s best World Cup showing since the country lifted the trophy in 2010, and Ruiz’s goal put La Roja in position to push that run further. Belgium, still unbeaten at the tournament heading into Friday’s match, has leaned on the attacking combination of Kevin De Bruyne and Jérémy Doku to generate its own chances.
Fabián Ruiz’s Rise From Sevilla to Paris Saint-Germain
Ruiz, born April 3, 1996, in Los Palacios y Villafranca, outside Seville, joined Real Betis’ academy at age 8 and worked his way through the club’s youth ranks before a loan spell at Elche sharpened him into a first-team regular back in Seville. Betis eventually sold the midfielder to Napoli for a reported $34 million in the summer of 2018, launching a four-year run in Naples that established him as one of Serie A’s most complete central midfielders.
Paris Saint-Germain signed Ruiz in 2022, and the move has produced a trophy case few midfielders in Europe can match. He has collected multiple Ligue 1 titles in the French capital and scored a crucial goal in the club’s run to the 2025 Champions League title, volleying home a semifinal strike against Arsenal, according to the Ligue 1 website, that helped send PSG to the final.
On the international stage, Ruiz was part of Spain’s Euro 2024-winning squad, scoring in the tournament opener against Croatia. Friday’s goal against Belgium extended his scoring record for the senior national team and reinforced his standing as a fixture in de la Fuente’s midfield during Spain’s push for a second World Cup title.
Like HEAVY’s content? Be sure to follow us.
This article was originally published on HEAVY
The post Fabián Ruiz Fires Spain Ahead of Belgium in Quarterfinal: How the Goal Scored appeared first on HEAVY.