Who played with whom?. Spain – Belgium 2:1. The winning goal was scored in the 88th minute by midfielder Mikel Merino, who had come on as a substitute just two minutes earlier. In exactly the same way, the Spaniards beat Portugal in the 1/8 finals four days ago: Merino came on as a substitute in the 85th minute and scored the winner six minutes later. The Spaniards will play the French in the semi-finals.
A separate fact from the fans. France and Spain meet in the semi-finals of a major tournament for the third time in three years. In 2024 they played in the semi-finals of the European Championship, and in 2025 in the semi-finals of the UEFA Nations League. The previous two times Spain won (2:1 and 5:4 respectively).
What are they talking about?. FIFA, whose greed is often discussed in this tournament, has found another way to make millions out of nothing – or rather, this time literally out of the ground. On the organization’s official website back Pre-order turf pieces from MetLife Stadium, where the final will be played.
Portions of the field will be collected after the match and sealed with acrylic resin, and the match score will be engraved on each souvenir. The kit will include a USB flash drive that confirms the authenticity. Memorabilia retails for $450 to $3,000 and is limited to 2,026 pieces for each of the four trim levels. FIFA’s total revenues from its sale could reach $11.2 million.
Picture of the day. Spanish national team fans in Zaragoza before the start of the match with the Belgians.
Next in the program. Today there are two quarterfinal matches at once. At midnight Moscow time, England vs. Norway, Harry Kane (6 goals) vs. Erling Haaland (7 goals). 4am (fortunately, this is the last match of the tournament) Argentina – Switzerland.