Both sides arrive at SoFi Stadium in matching 4-2-3-1 shapes, which makes the individual selections all the more telling.
Luis de la Fuente has gone with Alex Baena on the left of his attacking three rather than Nico Williams, who drops to the bench. Baena's directness in tight spaces suits a game where Belgium will defend in numbers, and it frees Lamine Yamal to operate on the right without a mirror image crowding that flank. Rodri anchors the double pivot alongside Fabián Ruiz, a pairing that gives Spain the ball-retention engine their tournament play has been built around.
For Belgium, the absence of Amadou Onana through injury means Nicolas Raskin partners Youri Tielemans in midfield. Raskin is the more defensive of the two, which matters enormously given what Spain will do with possession. Romelu Lukaku, notably, begins on the bench; Rudi Garcia has chosen Charles De Ketelaere as the lone striker, a decision that prioritises technical link-up over hold-up power.
The key matchup runs through the centre: Rodri against Kevin De Bruyne. De Bruyne drops into pockets between the lines to receive and turn, and Rodri's reading of exactly those movements will determine how quickly Spain suffocate Belgium's best ball-carrier.