---
title: "Spain and Belgium meet at SoFi with a World Cup semifinal on the line"
description: "The World Cup comes to Inglewood on Friday afternoon, as Spain's airtight defense meets a suddenly dangerous Belgium in a quarterfinal at SoFi Stadium. Kickoff is at noon Pacific, and the winner earns a semifinal date with France, which has already advanced."
category: "Los Angeles"
category_url: https://herald.la/category/los-angeles
author: "Mei-Lin Tang"
published: 2026-07-10T13:50:00.000Z
updated: 2026-07-10T13:50:00.000Z
canonical: https://herald.la/article/spain-and-belgium-meet-at-sofi-with-a-world-cup-semifinal-on-the-line
tags: ["world-cup", "sofi-stadium", "spain", "belgium", "los-angeles", "soccer"]
---
# Spain and Belgium meet at SoFi with a World Cup semifinal on the line

The World Cup comes to Inglewood on Friday afternoon, as Spain's airtight defense meets a suddenly dangerous Belgium in a quarterfinal at SoFi Stadium. Kickoff is at noon Pacific, and the winner earns a semifinal date with France, which has already advanced.

For a few hours on Friday, the center of the soccer world will be a stadium in Inglewood. Spain and Belgium meet at SoFi Stadium in a World Cup quarterfinal, one of the marquee dates in Los Angeles' turn as a host city for the 2026 tournament.

## The essentials

Kickoff is set for noon Pacific time (3 p.m. Eastern) at SoFi Stadium, [CBS Sports reported](https://www.cbssports.com/soccer/news/spain-vs-belgium-odds-prediction-preview-picks-start-time-for-world-cup-match-on-friday/). The stakes are simple: the winner advances to the semifinals to face France, which booked its place by beating Morocco 2-0, [as KTLA reported](https://ktla.com/news/nationworld/world-cup-2026-france-morocco-spain-belgium/). The loser goes home.

## Spain's wall

Spain has been the tournament's most miserly team, riding a stout defense deep into the bracket. La Roja reached the quarterfinals by getting past Cristiano Ronaldo and Portugal in the round of 16, [CBS Sports reported](https://www.cbssports.com/soccer/news/spain-vs-belgium-odds-prediction-preview-picks-start-time-for-world-cup-match-on-friday/). Their game plan is familiar: control the ball, starve the opponent of it, and lean on young stars like Barcelona's Lamine Yamal and midfielder Pedri to find the decisive moment.

## Belgium's revival

Belgium arrives with momentum and a point to prove. The Red Devils thrashed the United States in the round of 16, and coach Rudi Garcia appeared to settle on a system that finally clicked, pairing the creativity of Kevin De Bruyne with the pace of Jérémy Doku, [CBS Sports reported](https://www.cbssports.com/soccer/news/spain-vs-belgium-odds-prediction-preview-picks-start-time-for-world-cup-match-on-friday/). After years of a heralded "golden generation" falling short, this is another chance for Belgium to go deep.

## Why it matters here

The match is one of eight World Cup fixtures Southern California is hosting at SoFi, part of a summer that has turned the region into a stage for the world's biggest sporting event. For local fans, a European heavyweight clash on a Friday afternoon is the kind of occasion that does not come around often, a genuine World Cup quarterfinal, played in their backyard.

The two teams bring contrasting styles into it, Spain's patient possession against Belgium's rediscovered attacking edge. How that tension resolves will decide which side is still standing when the tournament reaches its final week, and the answer will be settled on the grass in Inglewood.