Belgium head coach Rudi Garcia insists his team has no intention of bowing out quietly when they face Spain in Friday’s FIFA World Cup quarter-final, despite widespread belief that the Red Devils are destined for elimination.
Spain head into the blockbuster clash in Los Angeles as overwhelming favourites after producing one of the tournament’s most dominant campaigns. The reigning European champions have yet to concede a single goal and have looked unstoppable on their march to the last eight.
Belgium, on the other hand, have taken a more challenging route. Garcia’s side narrowly topped their group after draws against Egypt and Iran before battling back to defeat Senegal. They then produced one of their best performances of the tournament with an emphatic 4-1 victory over the United States in the Round of 16.
Speaking ahead of the quarter-final on Thursday, Garcia embraced Belgium’s underdog label and made it clear his players are ready to defy expectations.
“Everyone is already talking about us going home,” Garcia said. “But we believe we can do it. We believe we can pull it off, and we’re going to do everything possible to reach the semi-finals.”
While Spain’s defensive record has grabbed headlines, Garcia pointed out that Belgium have been one of the tournament’s most dangerous attacking sides. The Red Devils have scored 13 goals—second only to France and Argentina—and have registered 107 shots, a tally surpassed only by France, who have played one more match.
Garcia also dismissed concerns that Belgium could face a hostile atmosphere in Los Angeles following their victory over tournament co-hosts the United States.
“We’ve already beaten the US in a stadium where almost everyone was against us,” he said. “I don’t think the conditions will be any more difficult tomorrow.”
The Belgian coach stressed that his team remains focused solely on the challenge posed by Spain.
“It’s not the fans who score the goals,” Garcia added. “Our focus is on what we can control. We know Spain are an outstanding football team, and even if we’re the underdogs, we’ll do everything we can to make life difficult for them.”
Veteran striker Romelu Lukaku shared his manager’s confidence, insisting Belgium have earned their place among the tournament’s final eight and are not prepared to let their World Cup journey end without a fight.
“When you get this far, you don’t play just to go home,” Lukaku said. “We have the quality to compete. Tomorrow we’ll need to play the perfect game, and that’s exactly what we’re aiming to do.”
With a place in the World Cup semi-finals at stake, Belgium will be hoping belief, determination, and their attacking firepower can help them produce one of the biggest upsets of the tournament against the in-form Spanish side.
