Unbeaten Spain meets star-powered Belgium in the World Cup quarterfinals

INGLEWOOD, Calif. (AP) — Spain hasn’t lost and hasn’t even conceded a single goal at this year's World Cup. La Roja is unbeaten in 36 straight competitive matches since March 2023.

This lofty standard of play clearly doesn’t scare Belgium, which is on a surging trajectory of its own heading into the teams’ World Cup quarterfinal match on Friday.

While Spain has been Europe's most consistent winner for the past 3 1/2 years, Belgium has played its way into position for what could be the final chance for its full golden generation of stars to do something spectacular together.

The tantalizing clash at SoFi Stadium matches a pre-tournament favorite and the reigning European champions against Belgium, which has never quite reached its full potential despite the big-money stars across its roster. Yet goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois says Belgium realizes the opportunity it has after blowing out the co-host United States 4-1 on Monday in its best performance of the tournament and extending the Red Devils' own unbeaten streak to 18 matches across all competitions.

“I think they’re one of the favorites to win it, so obviously we start as the underdog against them,” said Courtois, who has been at Real Madrid since 2018. “But in football, everything is possible, and I believe that we can win, with all respect. But obviously they are the favorite.”

While Spain has struggled to score occasionally over the past month, its defense has remained perfect, with Rodri orchestrating the effort superbly from midfield. Goalkeeper Unai Simón has played a World Cup-record 609 consecutive minutes without conceding, racking up another World Cup record of six straight clean sheets dating back to the 2022 tournament in Qatar.

Simón has only had to make six saves in five World Cup matches, but Belgium has enough offensive talent to make any goalkeeper work — including Kevin De Bruyne, Youri Tielemans, veteran striker Romelu Lukaku, playmaker Leandro Trossard and Charles De Ketelaere, who had two goals against the Americans.

Despite a wealth of good players around teenage sensation Lamine Yamal, Spain hasn't scored with as much flair as Belgium in this tournament, getting seven of its nine goals at the World Cup in two routs of overmatched Saudi Arabia and Austria. La Roja managed only Mikel Merino's clutch injury-time goal while beating Portugal 1-0 in the round of 16.

But striker Mikel Oyarzabal scored two goals in Spain’s first appearance at SoFi Stadium last week, leading Spain to a 3-0 rout of Austria.

“I think we’ve managed to build a really solid core group,” Oyarzabal said Thursday. “Regardless of whether things go well or badly, or who’s playing, the team responds, and I think that’s crucial. We’ve achieved something very difficult: creating that kind of unity within the national team.”

Belgium has been to the World Cup quarterfinals more recently than Spain. The veteran Belgian stars were youngsters eight years ago when the Red Devils made the semifinals in Russia, while Spain hadn't won a knockout match since winning the World Cup in 2010.

Belgium lost midfielder Amadou Onana to a knee injury this week, forcing a tactical change to preserve its defensive structure. That change might simply be the return of De Bruyne, who likely didn't play against the U.S. to keep him in top condition for Friday's match. Winger Jérémy Doku is thought to be healthy now, but hasn't consistently played well at the World Cup.

Nico Williams is expected to be fit after being limited earlier in the World Cup, and Spain otherwise appears to be in good health.

See more of AP’s World Cup coverage here

Belgium's Romelu Lukaku (9) celebrates after scoring his team's fourth goal during the World Cup round of 16 soccer match between the United States and Belgium in Seattle, Monday, July 6, 2026. (AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson)

Belgium's Charles De Ketelaere (17) celebrates after scoring his side's opening goal during the World Cup round of 16 soccer match between the United States and Belgium in Seattle, Monday, July 6, 2026. (AP Photo/Maddy Grassy)

Spain's Marc Cucurella, center, and teammates attend a training session ahead of a World Cup quarterfinal soccer match against Belgium in Carson, Calif., Thursday, July 9, 2026. (AP Photo/Andre Penner)

Spain's Nico Williams and teammates attend a training session ahead of a World Cup quarterfinal soccer match against Belgium in Carson, Calif., Thursday, July 9, 2026. (AP Photo/Andre Penner)

Spain's Ferran Torres (7) and Spain's Rodri (16) celebrate after Spain's Mikel Merino (6) scored their first goal during the World Cup round of 16 soccer match between Portugal and Spain in Arlington, Texas, near Dallas, Monday, July 6, 2026. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)

Kawhi Leonard's trade to the Toronto Raptors is on hold pending the outcome of the NBA's investigation into whether the Los Angeles Clippers circumvented salary cap rules, the teams announced Thursday.

It does not necessarily mean that the trade is off. The Raptors said they still want Leonard, and the Clippers, in a statement sent to multiple outlets including The Associated Press, again insisted that they are not guilty of any wrongdoing related to an endorsement contract between Leonard and a now-bankrupt California-based digital bank that touted itself as environmentally friendly.

But the probe, as detailed by the terms of the collective bargaining agreement, could lead to penalties that include a substantial fine, the loss of draft capital — and, potentially, even the voiding of a player contract — if the league finds there was a deliberate circumvention of cap rules.

“The NBA league office informed us that as a result of the ongoing investigation involving the Clippers, we would assume the risk of any potential outcome of the investigation impacting Kawhi,” the Raptors said. “In light of this, we will wait until the league’s investigation is complete.”

There is no timetable for the conclusion of the NBA's probe, which is being performed by outside counsel — Wachtell Lipton, a New York-based firm. Commissioner Adam Silver said in recent weeks that he'd like to see a conclusion.

“My instruction to them is we can’t be investigating forever. At some point you have to wrap it up,” Silver said last month at the NBA Finals. “But at the same time, the most important thing is that we get it right."

Through a spokesman, the NBA said Thursday that it doesn't “have a specific timeline for the conclusion of the investigation but expect the firm to finalize its work in the coming weeks”

The NBA opened an investigation back in September into whether a $28 million endorsement contract between Leonard and Aspiration Fund Adviser LLC — a company that filed for bankruptcy in 2025 — broke league rules, following a report by journalist Pablo Torre. Last month, Aspiration co-founder Joseph Sanberg was sentenced to 14 years in federal prison after pleading guilty to defrauding investors and lenders of at least $248 million.

“At the heart of this investigation are Joe Sanberg and Aspiration,” the Clippers said Thursday in a statement. "We did not funnel money to Kawhi Leonard through Aspiration. Like many sophisticated investors, financial institutions, and business partners, we were victims of a fraud initiated by Sanberg, who has been convicted and sentenced to 14 years in prison.

“We recognize the uncertainty this has created and the impact it has had on our team, our fans, the Raptors organization, their fans, and the players whose futures remain affected while this process continues. We remain confident that, when the facts are evaluated fairly and thoroughly, the NBA will confirm exactly what we have said from the beginning: We have not done what we are accused of doing.”

For its part, Toronto reaffirmed that it still wants to acquire Leonard.

“The Raptors remain eager to bring Kawhi back to Toronto and look forward to a swift resolution for our players, our organization, and our fans,” the Raptors said.

The Raptors and Clippers struck a deal on June 30 on a trade that would send Leonard back to the city that helped win the 2019 NBA championship.

The Raptors agreed to send Brandon Ingram, Gradey Dick, two first-round draft picks, two second-round picks and pick swaps to the Clippers for Leonard — who spent one season in Toronto, and that was the year the Raptors won their lone title.

He turned 35 earlier this month but is coming off the highest-scoring season of his career, averaging 27.9 points for the Clippers in 65 games.

Leonard is a seven-time All-Star, seven-time All-NBA selection, a two-time NBA champion (also winning in 2014 with San Antonio) and is generally considered one of the game’s top defensive players. He has said there was no wrongdoing.

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FILE - LA Clippers forward Kawhi Leonard, center, shoots as Golden State Warriors center Kristaps Porzingis defends during the first half of an NBA play-in tournament basketball game Wednesday, April 15, 2026, in Inglewood, Calif. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill,File)

Kyle Lowry, right, speaks with Kawhi Leonard after a press conference in which Lowry signed a one-day contract to retire as a Toronto Raptor, in Toronto, on Tuesday, July 7, 2026. (Chris Young/The Canadian Press via AP)