Belgium head coach Rudi Garcia believes his side can stun tournament favourites Spain in Friday's FIFA World Cup quarter-final, despite widespread expectations that the European champions will advance.
Spain head into the clash in Los Angeles in formidable form, having yet to concede a goal at the 2026 World Cup and establishing themselves as one of the tournament's standout teams.
Belgium's route to the last eight has been far less straightforward. The Red Devils scraped through the group stage after draws against Egypt and Iran before battling back late to overcome Senegal. However, they produced one of their best performances of the tournament by thrashing co-hosts the United States 4-1 in the Round of 16.
Speaking ahead of the quarter-final, Garcia embraced Belgium's underdog status and insisted his squad believes an upset is possible.
"Everyone is already talking about us going home," Garcia said. "But we think that we can do it.
"We think we can pull it off, and we're going to do everything we can to get to the semi-finals."
Despite Belgium's inconsistent campaign, Garcia highlighted his team's attacking numbers as evidence they can trouble Spain. Belgium have scored 13 goals at the tournament, trailing only France and Argentina, while their 107 shots are second only to France, who have played one game more.
Garcia also dismissed suggestions that Belgium could face a hostile atmosphere in Los Angeles after eliminating the United States.
"We just beat the US, obviously, and again at a stadium where everyone was against us. So I don't think the conditions will be any more difficult tomorrow," he said.
"It's not the fans that score the goals. We're going to focus on what we can do. We've got enough on our plate with the Spanish squad that is a wonderful footballing team.
"And even if we're the underdog for tomorrow, we're going to do everything we can to give them a run for their money."
Veteran striker Romelu Lukaku echoed his manager's confidence, insisting Belgium have not reached the quarter-finals simply to make up the numbers.
"If you manage to get this far, then you're not going to play a game just to go home," Lukaku said.
"I think we also have the necessary talent. Tomorrow we need to play the perfect game."
