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Belgium Loses Tielemans to Warm-Up Injury Minutes Before Spain World Cup Quarter-Final

Youri Tielemans suffered a hamstring injury during warm-ups and was replaced by Hans Vanaken 12 minutes before Belgium faced Spain.

Asude Karataş • 13 Temmuz 2026 14:30 • 3 dk okuma • 6 görüntülenme

Youri Tielemans was ruled out of Belgium's World Cup quarter-final against Spain after picking up a hamstring injury during warm-ups, forcing a last-minute team change in Los Angeles. The Aston Villa midfielder was replaced in the starting XI by Club Brugge's Hans Vanaken just 12 minutes before the match commenced. The Belgian Football Association confirmed the change through social media, stating that Tielemans had suffered an injury during the pre-match warm-up session.

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Last-Minute Disruption
Tielemans' Tournament Contribution

Last-Minute Disruption

Tielemans was originally scheduled to partner Nicolas Raskin in midfield as Belgium prepared to face Spain, who reached the quarter-finals after eliminating Portugal. The specific nature of the hamstring complaint was not formally disclosed by Belgian officials, though multiple reports identified it as a muscular issue that prevented the captain from taking his planned position.

Vanaken, at 33 years old, stepped into the midfield role having impressed in Belgium's previous fixture against the United States. The Club Brugge midfielder scored once and provided an assist in that 4-1 victory in the round of 16. His prior experience in knockout stages provided some continuity despite the unexpected reshuffle.

Tielemans' Tournament Contribution

Prior to the warm-up injury, Tielemans had appeared in every Belgium match during the tournament, missing just five minutes of action across multiple games. His performance against Senegal in the round of 32 proved decisive, as he levelled the score in the 89th minute before converting a penalty kick in extra time to secure a 3-2 victory. This dramatic performance had been instrumental in Belgium reaching the quarter-finals.

Belgium faced additional selection challenges beyond Tielemans' absence. Amadou Onana, another Villa midfielder, was sidelined after sustaining an anterior cruciate ligament rupture during the USA match, adding to the defensive midfield depth concerns heading into the Spain encounter.

What was the nature of Tielemans' injury?+

Tielemans sustained a hamstring injury during Belgium's warm-up session immediately before the Spain match. Belgian officials did not formally confirm specific medical details, though reports identified it as a muscular issue that ruled him out of the starting lineup.

Who replaced Tielemans in the team?+

Hans Vanaken, a 33-year-old midfielder from Club Brugge, was brought into the starting XI to replace Tielemans. Vanaken had previously come off the bench against the United States and scored once while providing an assist in that 4-1 victory.

How much of the tournament had Tielemans played?+

Tielemans appeared in all of Belgium's World Cup matches up to the quarter-final, missing only five minutes of action across multiple games. His late contributions against Senegal, including a penalty kick in extra time, were crucial to Belgium advancing from the group stage.

Did Belgium face other injury concerns before the Spain match?+

Yes. Amadou Onana, another Aston Villa midfielder, suffered an ACL injury in Belgium's previous match against the United States and was unavailable for the quarter-final. Both midfielders played for the same club, compounding Belgium's depth issues in that area of the pitch.

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