Spain vs Belgium: World Cup Rivalry and Team Records

The upcoming World Cup quarterfinal features two European teams, Spain and Belgium, meeting for the third time in this tournament's history. While England and Norway are meeting for the first time at a World Cup, Spain and Belgium already share some history on the pitch.

Historical Head-to-Head Between Spain and Belgium

These two sides have clashed 22 times overall, with 10 of those encounters happening since 1986. Their last World Cup match was back in 1990, and their most recent game in any context was a friendly in 2016. Over the years, Spain has generally had the upper hand, winning 12 of their 22 meetings, while Belgium has secured 5 wins and they drew 5 times.

Belgium's last official win over Spain dates to the 1986 World Cup quarterfinals, which ended in a penalty shootout after a draw. That year marked Belgium's run into the semifinals. Four years later, Spain claimed victory in a group stage match.

Looking at recent results, Spain has dominated the last five matches against Belgium, scoring 13 goals to Belgium’s single goal from 2004 onward.

Belgium's Golden Generation and Spain

Belgium’s famous golden generation emerged in the early 2010s but has only played Spain once in a competitive match. The two World Cup games between these countries are split evenly at one win each. Since 2009, there hasn’t been a competitive fixture between them until now.

Most Recent Encounter

The last time these teams met was a friendly on September 1, 2016. Despite Belgium fielding some of its strongest players at that time, Spain won 2-0 with both goals scored by David Silva. He netted once in the 34th minute and added a penalty in the 62nd minute.

This match was also notable as the first victory for Spain under then-manager Julen Lopetegui, who would be dismissed shortly before the 2018 World Cup due to his planned move to Real Madrid.