Watch | Spain's Unique Football-Tennis Training Steals The Show Ahead Of Belgium Quarter-Final

Spain added a touch of entertainment to their preparations for the FIFA World Cup 2026 quarter-final against Belgium, taking part in a football-tennis training session before shifting focus to the high-stakes clash, where midfielder Dani Olmo reiterated the team's title ambitions and praised teenage sensation Lamine Yamal.

Spain's football-tennis drill grabs attention

Spain's men's team was seen playing a football-tennis hybrid during training ahead of their FIFA World Cup 2026 quarter-final against Belgium, scheduled for July 11 at 12:30 AM IST.

With a tennis net set up across the football pitch, players exchanged volleys using only their feet and heads, mimicking tennis rallies without the use of racquets.

Sharing a glimpse of the session on Instagram, Spain's official national team account posted: "This isn't soccer-tennis. We're in Hollywood. THIS IS CINEMA."

Spain will be aiming to reach the FIFA World Cup semi-finals for the first time since lifting the trophy in 2010. Belgium, bronze medallists in 2018, will look to return to the last four with experienced stars including Romelu Lukaku and Kevin De Bruyne expected to play key leadership roles.

Olmo: Every match is a final

Speaking ahead of the quarter-final, Spain and Barcelona midfielder Dani Olmo said the squad approaches every game with a knockout mentality.

"We face every match as if it were a final, and that is how Luis (de la Fuente, the head coach) tells us. The most important match is the one that is coming up."

Olmo also played down Spain's ongoing 35-match unbeaten run in international football, insisting that records are secondary to winning the tournament.

He said maintaining the streak was not an objective, adding that the team's real ambition is to "win it all" and earn a second star on the national team's jersey.

Olmo backs Yamal as Spain eye another clean sheet

Olmo reserved special praise for 18-year-old winger Lamine Yamal, who has steadily grown into the tournament after arriving with a hamstring injury.

"I see Lamine doing well. He is gaining confidence after the initial problems, and he is getting better and better. He wants to prove himself, and he is going to give us a lot."

He also highlighted their understanding on the pitch, saying: "We understand each other well on the field with or without the ball."

Yamal began the tournament on the bench before scoring after coming on against Saudi Arabia in the group stage. Against Portugal in the Round of 16, he registered three shots, including two on target, as Spain secured a 1-0 victory through Mikel Merino's late winner.

Olmo also underlined Spain's collective defensive commitment.

"We are very happy about Unai's record, and hopefully we can keep a clean sheet."

Spain enter the Belgium clash after becoming the first team in FIFA World Cup history to record six consecutive clean sheets. Goalkeeper Unai Simón has now gone 609 minutes without conceding, setting a new FIFA World Cup record.

(With inputs from ANI)