Luis de la Fuente's team did not give in to the stress or the pressure of the situation. From the first minute, they imposed their own rhythm, circulated the ball with exemplary patience and proved why they are considered by many to be the biggest favorites of the tournament. Possession was overwhelmingly in their favor, the passes followed one another with impressive precision and Belgium seemed to be constantly chasing the shadows of their opponents.

This superiority acquired substance in the 30th minute. Dani Olmo tried his foot, Thibaut Courtois temporarily blocked, but Fabian Ruiz found himself in the right place and calmly opened the scoring, fully justifying De la Fuente's choice to prefer him over Pedri in the starting lineup.

And yet, Belgium proved that they have character. Despite being largely passive, he found the moment he was looking for. In the 41st minute, Charles De Ketelaere capitalised on his team’s best organised attacking effort and beat Unai Simon, ending an impressive 649-minute unbeaten run by a Spanish goalkeeper at the World Cup.

That goal did not change the tone of the match. Spain continued to take the initiative, moving the ball patiently and finding gaps in the Belgian defence. Lamine Yamal got the second goal with a superb shot that went just wide, while Nico Williams and Dani Olmo continued to create gaps on the wings.

Belgium, however, did not give up. Jeremy Doku was a constant source of concern for the Spanish defense with his explosive actions, while the entry of Romelu Lukaku gave even more strength to the “Red Devils” attacking line. But the most significant loss for the Belgians came in the 71st minute, when Thibaut Courtois felt discomfort in his thigh and was forced to leave the field in his 21st appearance in the World Cup finals, a performance that ranks him second among goalkeepers behind only Manuel Neuer.

The departure of the captain of the Belgian defense proved decisive. Young Senne Lammens kept his team upright as long as he could, but in the 88th minute he gave way. He failed to contain Pau Cubarsi's powerful shot and Mikel Merino, true to his promise of great moments, was first to the ball in the net to give Spain a victory that was fully deserved based on the picture of the match.

It was the second decisive goal by the Arsenal midfielder in the knockout stages of the competition, after the one that had eliminated Portugal in the round of 16. Most importantly, however, it was the goal that brought "Roja" back to the elite of world football, giving them their first participation in a World Cup semi-final since winning the trophy in 2010 in the stadiums of South Africa.

Now, France is on its way. Two of the top teams of the modern football era will face off for a place in the grand final. And if Spain displays the same competitive maturity, the same patience, and the same faith until the last minute, then the road to the top of the world remains wide open.