Spain benched Pedri, rely on Fabián and Merino to beat Belgium

Spain secured a 2-1 victory over Belgium to advance to the World Cup semifinals, but the match was defined by coach Luis de la Fuente's bold decision to bench star midfielder Pedri in favor of Fabián Ruiz. Source: La Vanguardia, El Español, Infobae

The bold decision

De la Fuente surprised observers by leaving Pedri on the bench, despite his status as a key figure in Spain's recent successes. Fabián Ruiz, who had lost his starting spot after the opening draw against Cabo Verde, was given the nod. Source: ABC The move drew mixed reactions: while some praised De la Fuente's intuition, others noted that Spain's attack lacked fluidity early on. Source: La Vanguardia However, Fabián justified his selection by scoring the opening goal in the 34th minute, pouncing on a rebound from Dani Olmo's shot. Source: ABC, El Español

Key contributors

• Fabián Ruiz: Scored his first World Cup goal and celebrated with an emotional gesture for his unborn child. Source: ABC His performance was described as "redonda" (perfect) by ABC. Source: ABC
• Mikel Merino: Coming off the bench in the 86th minute, he scored the decisive second goal, continuing his trend of impactful substitute appearances. Source: La Vanguardia, El Español