Belgium Ready to Spring Surprise Against Spain, Says Garcia

Belgium head coach Rudi Garcia has embraced his team's underdog status ahead of their World Cup quarter-final against European champions Spain, insisting his players have both the quality and confidence to pull off a major upset.

Spain have been widely regarded as one of the tournament favourites since the opening match, a view Garcia has no problem accepting. While acknowledging the Spaniards' strengths, the French coach believes Belgium have what it takes to end their unbeaten run.

"We know we're facing one of the favourites to win the tournament," Garcia told reporters. "Spain are probably the best team in the world when it comes to controlling possession. Over the last 15 to 20 years, they've developed a clear football identity.

"But we also have a very good team. We know they haven't conceded a goal yet, but records are made to be broken. We've scored the second-most goals in this World Cup and we're facing the team with the highest expected goals (xG). We're confident we can beat Spain."

Only France (16) and Argentina (14) have scored more goals than Belgium's 13 in the tournament.

Despite Spain's impressive squad depth, Garcia believes Belgium are equally well-equipped.

"Some people may only be discovering this team now, but I know them by heart," he said. "You don't always appreciate a team's true value when things are going well. I have two teams—one starts the match and another finishes it. Our bench is strong and full of quality. And I also have one of the best strikers of this era."

The striker Garcia referred to is Romelu Lukaku, who echoed his coach's confidence during the pre-match press conference.

"You don't come this far in a tournament because you want to go home," said the Napoli forward. "Spain are a fantastic team. They have pace on both wings and incredible squad depth. But we're well prepared, and we have everything we need to make life difficult for them."

Lukaku has started only one match at this World Cup but has already scored three goals after coming off the bench. The 33-year-old revealed that he discussed his role with Garcia as early as April and fully accepted it.

"The coach asked me to play a specific role, and I agreed because the team always comes first," Lukaku said. "I try to help the team both on and off the pitch. At this stage of my career, football is played with the mind as much as with the body."

Belgium booked their place in the quarter-finals by eliminating hosts the United States in Seattle. They are now set to face Spain in front of an expected crowd of around 80,000 in Los Angeles, where home fans are likely to support the European champions' opponents.

Garcia, however, insists the atmosphere will not distract his players.

"We've just beaten the United States on their own soil, where everyone was cheering against us," he said. "The fans don't score goals. I don't know what the pitch conditions will be like, but we're fully focused on what we can do on the field."

Garcia also believes Belgium have gained a wave of new supporters following the controversial decision to overturn Folarin Balogun's suspension after his red card.

"We used to have 12 million supporters," Garcia said. "After what happened over the past few days, we've gained many more around the world. That support will help us in this match and make us even stronger."