Late night sporting excitement just became a little more intense as the stage is set for the second quarter final between swashbuckling Spain and steadfast Belgium.
Belgium with all their success is still deemed somewhat of an outsider by most football lovers.
I mean no offence, but we usually don’t think of them when asked to name top five European sides.
But they are the stealthy assassins, moving ahead without causing too much of a stir and then, you see them giving the traditional giants a run for their money.
When I think of Belgium, the 1986 semi final match with Argentina comes to mind: a full team of devils, given a footballing masterclass by a mortal called Maradona.
If one searches Belgium-Argentina match, the images usually show a famous picture of Maradona surrounded by a bevy of ‘beleaguered’ Belgian players.
Anyway, while Belgium never hog the headline, this team was among the few who played the first World Cup in 1930.
Here’s another fascinating bit of history: their first match was a loss at the 1930 tournament against, yes, read it again, USA, who won 3-0.
The Red Devils did not lose any of their last 15 international matches – something Spain will be taking seriously.
Spain, on the other hand, began the 2026 campaign with a hiccup after drawing with the wonder boys of Cape Verde.
At that time, the Spanish team became an object of ridicule, but only later did the world see that Cape Verde was no first-time entry simply satisfied by seeing their flag among the others.
Cape Verde gave the running champions Argentina a massive scare, which only proves that Spain played well against them.
And lest we forget, Spain is at the World Cup to add another star on their jersey.
The firepower of the Belgians was on full display against the USA.
Clinical, methodical and precise!
However, fans have often raised a finger at their silly goalkeeping errors.
Oh, before I forget, Spain is carrying a record – so-far the team has scored 9 goals without conceding a single one.
Now that’s something to take note.
Speaking on this high voltage European clash, Zahirul Islam, a football enthusiast and a journalist, says: “these European clashes are very hard to predict because most teams play a similar kind of football – crisp passing, high pressing, swift defending supported by sharp set pieces.”
For any general football lover, these teams are equals.
However, there is always a first among equals and to find out who that is, we need to wait till the match ends.
Time will tell who has the last laugh: the devils or the Spanish conquistadors.
