Fermin Lopez scored twice as Spain defeated Japan 3-0 in Lyon to advance to the Olympic men’s football semi-finals.
The Barcelona midfielder, who is also a member of Spain’s Euro 2024-winning team, scored his first goal early with a left-footed strike into the right corner. He added a second after halftime with a stunning right-foot shot from 20 yards.
Japan’s Mao Hosoya, who struck the post, had a goal disallowed late in the first half after a protracted VAR review confirmed he was offside.
Abel Ruiz completed Spain’s victory with a late tap-in, setting up a semi-final clash with Morocco in Marseille on Monday at 17:00 BST.
Morocco secured their spot in the last four for the first time with a dominant 4-0 victory over the United States at Parc des Princes.
Soufiane Rahimi opened the scoring with a penalty, marking his fifth goal of the tournament.
Ilias Akhomach added to their lead with a close-range finish, followed by a goal from captain Achraf Hakimi, who curled in a left-footed shot after a brilliant run.
Substitute Mehdi Maouhoub completed the scoring with another penalty in stoppage time, awarded after a VAR review for a handball.
Hakimi, who plays for Paris Saint-Germain in France, expressed his gratitude to the fans, saying, “Playing in this stadium, where I’m familiar, felt like home. Our supporters have been incredible throughout the tournament, and we hope they will continue to back us all the way to the final. We aim to make them proud.”