Merino does it again, Yamal's controversial MVP, and Witsel's haircut interlude: Spain's day of drama

Spain edged past Belgium in another World Cup 2026 clash, leaving plenty to talk about — from super-subs and disputed awards to injuries and odd on-field moments. Mikel Merino once more came off the bench to score. Two games, two goals, both within five minutes of entering the pitch. This time he capitalized on a mistake by Senne Lammens and the Belgian defense, but being in the right place at the right time is a skill in itself. His strike proved to be the winner. Lamine Yamal was named Man of the Match again — and again the decision raised eyebrows. Against Austria it was borderline acceptable, but against Belgium Rodrigo was just as influential, and Jérémy Doku caused plenty of trouble. If FIFA was unsure, they could have handed it to Merino — no one would have complained. Thibaut Courtois picked up yet another muscle injury. Belgium can rest easy knowing they have Lammens, who despite the error is a quality keeper. Even Courtois defended him: "The pitch was very dry — he was just unlucky. At the end of the day, it's football. There's no need to kick the guy when he's down. He's a great goalkeeper, had a great season at Manchester United, and doesn't deserve such criticism." Belgium head coach Rudi Garcia said after the match: "We proved that Belgium was one of the best teams in this World Cup. Maybe we could have gone further — we were very close. We gave the Belgian people a dream." Those words ring hollow after his side only woke up following two Senegal goals in the previous game and created almost nothing against Spain. Spain conceded for the first time in World Cup 2026. Unai Simón's clean-sheet streak ended at 649 minutes — a new world record. If not for Merino's winner, Charles De Ketelaere's brilliant strike would have been the goal of the day. Axel Witsel added a bizarre note: after a heavy foul on Rodrigo, he started fixing the Spaniard's hair right there on the pitch. The incident around the 94th minute is worth a replay. The biggest disappointment was Youri Tielemans' absence. The captain could have provided much-needed attacking thrust, and Belgium sorely missed his leadership.