Spain confirmed their starting lineup to face Belgium in the 2026 World Cup quarterfinals, and the big news surrounds a completely unexpected absence. Pedri will not start, a decision by Luis de la Fuente that has surprised the many fans attending the match.
The surprise is even greater because, in the buildup, many expected Dani Olmo to be sacrificed to bring Fabian Ruiz into the midfield. However, the Spanish head coach opted to keep the Barcelona player and leave out Pedri. Everything indicates it is a 100% tactical decision, as Pedri was not entering the match in his best form, for a fixture that already has referees confirmed.
For his part, Fabian returns to the starting eleven, a position he had not held since the debut against Cape Verde, where Spain drew 0-0 against Cape Verde. However, he is an experienced player who can give a different energy to the Spanish midfield. Pedri will be alongside a Barcelona teammate on the bench in Gavi, who isn’t starting either.
Spain chase World Cup semifinals
La Roja face one of their biggest challenges in this 2026 World Cup. Belgium arrive strengthened and with a great position in the FIFA ranking after overcoming a tough elimination round and represent a maximum-demand opponent for the men led by Luis de la Fuente.
Pedri of Spain
For this reason, the head coach decided to introduce important modifications in search of controlling the tempo of the match and punching their ticket to the semifinals. He also left Nico Williams on the bench.
Confirmed lineups
Lineups are already confirmed. With the decision to bench Pedri and Gavi while deciding not to start Ferran Torres once again, Luis de la Fuente will line up as follows: Unai Simon; Pedro Porro, Pau Cubarsi, Aymeric Laporte, Marc Cucurella; Rodri, Fabian Ruiz, Alex Baena; Lamine Yamal, Dani Olmo, Mikel Oyarzabal.
On Belgium’s side, Romelu Lukaku will not start in a decision that has become repetitive, nor will Dodi Lukebakio, who had been a starter in the last match against USA. Rudi Garcia chose his starting eleven: Thibaut Courtois; Brandon Mechele, Maxim De Cuyper, Timothy Castagne, Nathan Ngoy; Kevin De Bruyne, Youri Tielemans, Nicolas Raskin; Leandro Trossard, Jeremy Doku, Charles De Ketelaere.
