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Art & illustrations

Merino Waited Until The 88th. Belgium Blinked.

Mikel Merino struck in the 88th minute after Courtois left injured, sending Spain past Belgium and into a World Cup semifinal with France.

1 min readChickenpie
Behind the artwork ↓
Chickenpie-style illustration of Spain scoring a late World Cup quarterfinal winner against Belgium in a packed Los Angeles stadium.
FROM THE SKETCHBOOK
BEHIND THE ARTWORK
At a glance
CategoryArt & illustrations
PublishedJul 11, 2026
Read time1 min
Covered here
  • World Cup
  • Football
  • Sports
  • Chickens
  • Culture

Spain beat Belgium 2-1 in Los Angeles after a match that looked balanced until the final minutes. Fabián Ruiz scored first, Charles De Ketelaere answered, and the quarterfinal stayed tense.

Then Thibaut Courtois left injured. Belgium’s backup keeper entered cold, and in the 88th minute Mikel Merino pounced on a loose rebound to send Spain into a semifinal with France.

It was the kind of World Cup goal that feels cruel because everyone sees it coming one second too late: shot, spill, scramble, finish, collapse.

In the Chickenpie version, the stadium is the main character. Mr. Chicken is tiny in the corner, holding a program and realizing substitute time is not garbage time.

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