That's a wrap from us for now until we start building up once again as Spain prepare to take on Belgium.

The European champions will face the Red Devils in Los Angeles and will be live from 19:30 BST across BBC One and iPlayer.

You can also follow full-match commentary on BBC Radio 5 Live and live text coverage on the BBC Sport website and app

Here are some of the key takeaways until then:

• Spain's path to the final is built on a record-breaking defence
• Coach Luis De La Fuente is "building an unmistakable identity"
• Youri Tielemans and Spain make history
• Can Kevin De Bruyne do it again?

Spain and Belgium will have to go some to top the heroes' welcome given to the Egypt national team, who returned home in an open-top bus and were greeted by fans on the streets.

Egypt were knocked out of the World Cup in the last 16 after a heart-breaking finish against defending champions Argentina, surrendering a two-goal lead in the final 10 minutes to lose 3-2.

Image source, Getty Images

Image source, Getty Images

Let's see what Opta's supercomputer makes of this match-up...

It struggled to see past Spain progressing; they came out on top inside 90 minutes in 58.3% of the 25,000 pre-match simulations.

Belgium hold just an 19.1% chance of victory in normal time, while the draw appeared more likely in 22.6% of data-led simulations.

Including the potential for extra-time and penalties, Spain reached the last four in 69.8% of simulations by the supercomputer.

Image source, Getty Images

• Spain remain unbeaten under Luis de la Fuente at major tournaments, winning 11 of their 12 matches (D1).
• Under Luis de la Fuente, Spain have progressed from all six of their major tournaments (Fifa World Cup/Uefa Euros) knockout games. Only two managers have ever progressed from their first seven knockout ties at major tournaments with European nations: Vittorio Pozzo (first 8 with Italy, 1934-1938) and Vicente del Bosque (first 7 with Spain, 2010-2012).
• Spain’s Lamine Yamal has completed 17 dribbles at this year’s World Cup. The only teenagers on record (from 1966) to complete more at the finals are Germany’s Jamal Musiala (19 in 2022) and France’s Kylian Mbappé (22 in 2018).
• Romelu Lukaku has scored in each of Belgium’s last three World Cup games becoming the second player to score in three in a row for the Red Devils, after Marc Wilmots in 2002. All three of his goals have come as a substitute; only Roger Milla for Cameroon in 1990 (four) has ever netted more from the bench at a single World Cup.

So Belgium have it all to do, if they are to roll back recent history.

If you need a quick recap, here's how both Spain and Belgium set up their quarter-final - you can watch their highlights below.

Image source, Getty Images

Belgium have a poor record against Spain.

In 22 recorded meetings, they have won just five and are currently in an 11-match winless run against La Roja going back more than 40 years.

But if you want to look at coincidences - the last time Belgium did come out on top against Spain was at the 1986 World Cup, also held in Mexico and also in the quarter-finals. Although it was on penalties after holding Spain to a 1-1 draw.

The last time Belgium won in normal time? Euro 1980.

Guillem Balague
Spanish football journalist

Image source, Getty Images

And what of Lamine Yamal, the prodigy whose face appears on every poster, whose talent has already captured the world's imagination? Managing him is one of Luis De la Fuente's most delicate tasks.

How is he handling that particular task?

He said: "Well, mostly by staying calm and giving him confidence, because we know where Lamine came from (two months injured before joining Spain this summer) and even though he's not fully there yet in terms of fitness, we also knew that our plans were set for this phase.

"This is where we wanted to see him, and he wants to see himself, and he's already completely focused on making this his World Cup."

But De la Fuente knows that greatness is not built in a single match. It is built through maturity.

This is why the Portugal match was, in De la Fuente's eyes, the most important of Lamine's career. Not because he dazzled with the ball, but because he worked relentlessly without it.

"This is the moment for him," De la Fuente says. "Not the moment to score 10 goals, but the moment to be decisive in decisive matches.

"In my understanding of this sport, success comes with a good team. If you add some incredible individual players, well, you almost, almost hit perfection, but it's the only way to achieve anything."

His admiration for players like Mikel Oyarzabal reveals the same logic. Oyarzabal is, in his view, one of the five best centre‑forwards in the world.

"He is a player who, in different circumstances, would be recognised worldwide as a top player, which, in my opinion, he is, and he's starting to get recognised, but he should have been for a long time," said De la Fuente.

Everything about De la Fuente's life reflects consistency, including training daily himself to stay fit.

"Yes, it's a lifestyle," he said. "The most important thing about this is consistency. I've always been taught to be disciplined, consistent.

"I'm exhausting, my friends used to tell me that I am exhausting. When I set my mind to something, I'm one of those who just keeps going."

He has only one thing in his mind right now.

If not Kevin de Bruyne, then who else will step up to be the star of this quarter-final?

Could it be the moment Spain's teen talent Lamine Yamal finally takes centre stage?

Belgium

Image source, Getty Images

It's been a competition of big stars stepping up - the old and the new - but one who's been quieter than you'd expect is Belgium's Kevin De Bruyne.

The former Manchester City midfielder started Belgium's first four matches and scored one goal but was an unused substitute against the USA in the last-16.

On the benching, manager Rudi Garcia said: “The plan was that, if we needed Kevin, we would bring him on. But we didn’t need to because we scored the goals. Then, when Amadou [Onana] got injured, we needed Hans [Vanaken] more. Obviously he’s not an attacking midfielder like Kevin, but he gives us height for both attacking and defensive set pieces."

So, there are questions whether the 35-year-old will have a say in what could be his final World Cup knockout game this evening.

But if he does, can he do a repeat of Belgium's 2018 quarter-final, when he scored the winner against Brazil to set up a semi-final versus France? The very same opponent they would get this year...

BBC Radio 5 Live

Former England midfielder Leon Osman, on how Belgium coming through adversity against Senegal will help them go against Spain: “Belgium had a moment in this tournament where they were pretty poor in the first few games and then were 2-0 down to Senegal having played poorly, and suddenly managed to turn it around and then have been absolutely flying from there.

“That test seems to have given them an extra step and they have been impressive since then. They’re better and getting better game-to-game and in a fixture against Spain where I thought would be completely one-sided a week ago, I’m looking at this different now and this Belgium team might give them a game.

“Sometimes it’s one moment [that changes a tournament].”

Image source, Getty Images

What history have Spain and Belgium already made at this year's World Cup?

Belgium's Youri Tielemans scored the latest ever goal in the competition with his winning penalty against Senegal in the last-32 - clocking in at 124 minutes and 44 seconds.

Spain have kept a clean sheet in each of their last six World Cup games (starting against Morocco in 2022), the longest run by any side in the tournament's history. They are averaging an xGA-per game of just 0.30 – the lowest on record (from 1966) by any team in an edition of the finals.

Which also means, Spain’s Unai Simon has now kept a clean sheet in five consecutive World Cup starts, the joint longest run by a goalkeeper in the competition, along with Italy’s Walter Zenga in 1990.

Guillem Balague
Spanish football journalist

Image source, Getty Images

Luis de la Fuente's Spain are closing in on greatness.

They are bidding to become just the fourth team to hold both the World Cup and European Championship crowns at the same time; following their compatriots in 2010, France in 2000 and West Germany back in 1974.

De la Fuente is now into his fourth year as Spain boss; winning the Euros two years ago and now guiding his country to a quarter-final against Belgium on Friday. France lie in wait for the winners.

He has lost just three times since he took over in January 2023, and is on a run of 35 games without a defeat.

There are coaches who build teams through tactics, and there are coaches who build teams through people. De la Fuente somehow manages to do both.

What sets him apart though is more than a football philosophy, but rather a way of understanding people.

His style can be defined as controlling possession but with alternatives. But alongside it he has created a culture.

De la Fuente's success with Spain is the product of decades of work within the Spanish federation, and of his own role as a coach in that system since 2013, shaping players and instilling values.

He has played a crucial part in building a collective identity that is now unmistakable, and that is no small feat with a national side.

Image source, Getty Images

Spain possess an array of attacking talent and midfield riches that would be the envy of most nations.

Pedri continues to pull the strings in midfield, with support from 2024 Ballon d'Or winner Rodri, helping to provide the platform for leading front man Mikel Oyarzabal.

Real Sociedad striker Oyarzabal has weighed in with four of Spain's nine goals at this tournament, taking his tally to 17 in his past 17 starts for La Roja.

Barcelona wonderkid Lamine Yamal has not yet hit top gear, scoring his only goal in Spain's 4-0 group stage win over Saudi Arabia, but is gradually returning to full fitness.

However, Spain's tally of nine goals in this tournament is the joint fewest, alongside Switzerland, of the eight quarter-finalists.

It is at the other end of the pitch where the Spaniards have built the foundations of their latest World Cup challenge, as the only team yet to concede.

"You feel there is so much more to come from Spain," said former England striker Chris Sutton on BBC Radio 5 Live.

"The fact that they are not conceding is ominous for other teams. Their toughest test will come against France if they both win their games [in the last eight].

"I think Spain are capable of beating France but they'll have to be near perfect on the day."

Goals scored by the quarter-finalists before the last-eight ties:

• 14 - Argentina, France*
• 13 - Belgium
• 12 - Norway
• 11 - England
• 10 - Morocco
• 9 - Spain, Switzerland

*= France scored another two goals in their quarter-final win over Morocco, to take their total tally to 16 for the tournament

Belgium may have one of the worst defensive records of the quarter-finalists and are facing the only team that has not yet conceded, but they have had no problems scoring.

Only France and Argentina have scored more than Belgium, of the teams in the last eight.

While Spain are yet to really fire, as an attacking unit...

Games in Group G:

• Belgium1-1 Egypt
• Belgium0-0 Iran
• New Zealand 1-5Belgium

Last 32

• Belgium3-2 Senegal (AET)

Last 16

• United States 1-4Belgium

Quarter-final

• Spain v Belgium (Fri, 20:00 BST)

Belgium, meanwhile, have endured some difficult moments in their route to the quarter-finals.

They had to beat New Zealand in their final group game to progress into the knockout stages and team-mates Leandro Trossard and Youri Tielemans had to be separated in their last-32 tie against Senegal, before they linked up to help the side come back from two goals down to win 3-2 after extra time.

Yet a politically-charged 4-1 win over the USA in the last 16 looks to have galvanised them ready for what is sure to be a stern test against Spain...