Spain 1-0 Portugal: Merino's extra-time strike ends Ronaldo's World Cup dream
Spain eliminated Cristiano Ronaldo's Portugal 1-0 in the World Cup 2026 round of 16, with Mikel Merino scoring the winner in extra time at AT&T Stadium in Dallas.
Portugal
Spain- 90'⚽ Goal for Spain (M. Merino)
- 90'Substitution: ↑ B. Iglesias / ↓ M. Oyarzabal (Spain)
- 90'Yellow card: Ferran Torres (Spain)
- 90'Yellow card: Renato Veiga (Portugal)
- 90'Final score: Portugal 0 - 1 Spain
- 89'Yellow card: Bernardo Silva (Portugal)
- 85'Substitution: ↑ M. Merino / ↓ D. Olmo (Spain)
- 85'Substitution: ↑ F. Ruiz / ↓ Pedri (Spain)
- 83'Substitution: ↑ F. Conceicao / ↓ P. Neto (Portugal)
- 83'Substitution: ↑ B. Silva / ↓ Vitinha (Portugal)
- 75'Substitution: ↑ F. Torres / ↓ A. Baena (Spain)
- 71'Substitution: ↑ R. Leao / ↓ Joao Felix (Portugal)
- 71'Substitution: ↑ D. Dalot / ↓ J. Cancelo (Portugal)
- 56'Substitution: ↑ N. Semedo / ↓ N. Mendes (Portugal)
- 45'Half-time
- 0'Kick-off
Spain beat Portugal 1-0 in the World Cup 2026 round of 16 at AT&T Stadium in Dallas.
Mikel Oyarzabal (8') and Cristiano Ronaldo (12') both missed the match's early chances.
Nuno Mendes struck the crossbar from a corner (41'), Portugal's best chance of the game.
Mendes went off injured in the 54th minute, weakening Portugal's resistance.
Pedri (61') and a Lamine Yamal free kick (73') kept up the pressure without a breakthrough.
Mikel Merino sealed Spain's qualification in extra time, set up by Ferran Torres.
At 41, Cristiano Ronaldo has almost certainly played his last World Cup; Spain will face the winner of Belgium-USA in the quarter-final.
