Overview
- France beat Morocco 2-0 on Thursday as Kylian Mbappé curled home a long-range equaliser after missing a penalty and Ousmane Dembélé added a solo second to send Les Bleus into the last four.
- Spain edged Belgium 2-1 on Friday when Mikel Merino pounced on a spilled save by substitute Senne Lammens two minutes after coming on, a sequence that followed the injury-enforced exit of Thibaut Courtois.
- Fabian Ruiz opened for Spain and Charles De Ketelaere equalised to end Unai Simón’s 649-minute shutout run, while Merino reinforced his role as a decisive super-sub with back-to-back late winners.
- The other two quarterfinals — England v Norway and Argentina v Switzerland — will decide the remaining semifinalists today, with Erling Haaland and Harry Kane headlining a key goalscoring duel that could affect the Golden Boot race.
- Knockout margins have been defined by player availability, in-game injuries and single moments of fortune, which now shape tactical questions for the France–Spain semifinal in Arlington and the tournament’s path to the final.