World Cup 2026 – Round of 16: Spain wins late against Portugal and advances to the World Cup quarter-finals
Portugal – Spain 0:1 (0:0)
Spain beat Portugal 1-0 (0-0) in the round of 16 of the 2026 World Cup. In Arlington, Mikel Merino, who had recently been substituted, only scored the winning goal in stoppage time (90th +1).
Spain’s opponents in the round of the last eight are co-hosts USA or Belgium on Friday in Los Angeles (9 p.m. CEST). For the 41 year old Cristiano Ronaldo On the other hand, his 27th World Cup game was probably also his last.
The high technical level of both teams was evident right from the start. However, Spain initially had the better chances. Striker Mikel Oyarzabal initially tried from a distance (3rd), before the 29-year-old carelessly missed the lead a little later while standing completely free (8th). Portugal did not hide in the entertaining opening phase and contributed his part to the spectacle: João Cancelo (7th) and Ronaldo (12th) caused danger with their first shots.
Even after the turbulent start, the pace remained high. Spain repeatedly combined in the penalty area. After around a quarter of an hour, Spain’s superstar Lamine Yamal had a great chance, but Costa first fended off his shot and then Alex Baena’s follow-up shot (16th). The FC Porto goalkeeper was also on the spot when Pedri’s tricky cross came from the half field and quickly parried with his foot (31′).
On the other side, Unai Simón was, as usual, reliable. The Basque, who had kept a clean sheet in the first four games, showed strong reflexes against João Félix and Ronaldo (37th). Following a corner, Nuno Mendes took a sharp shot, but his slightly deflected shot landed on the crossbar in the 41st minute.
The second half started less exciting. Both teams were initially careful not to allow any further chances. In addition, several breaks due to injuries took away the rhythm of the game. It was then Yamal who tested Costa with a free kick (73′), before Merino came in in the 85th minute – and scored after a quickly taken free kick.
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