Belgium coach Rudi Garcia says the prevailing expectation is that Spain will eliminate Belgium in Friday’s World Cup quarter-final. Garcia is quoted as acknowledging that many people view Belgium as the underdog and believes “everyone” expects Spain to win. Despite that assessment, he backs Belgium’s chances and says the team is preparing to try to secure a “famous victory.” The comments come after Belgium’s improved performance in the tournament’s knockout stage. In Monday’s round of 16, Belgium thrashed the United States 4-1, ending the hopes of the World Cup co-hosts and giving Belgium momentum heading into the quarter-final. Multiple outlets report that Garcia frames the match against Spain as a test where external expectations point one way, but Belgium intends to compete for the result. The coverage is consistent across sources on the central points: Garcia’s remarks about widespread expectations, the quarter-final fixture against Spain on Friday, and Belgium’s 4-1 win over the United States in the prior round.