Merino scores 88th-minute winner as Spain beat Belgium
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- Mikel Merino scored an 88th-minute winning goal for Spain against Belgium in their FIFA World Cup 2026 quarter final, capitalizing on a mistake by substitute goalkeeper Senne Lammens
- Cross-coverage from ESPN and Sky Sports both frame the strike as Merino's 'another' late winner, signaling a recurring clutch-finishing pattern for the Spanish forward deep into matches
Why it matters: Spain advance past Belgium in the World Cup quarter final on a goal born entirely from substitute keeper Lammens's mistake. The cross-source consensus that this is 'another' late Merino winner transforms a single moment into a trackable pattern Spain's remaining knockout opponents must gameplan against.
