JCH-2026: Spain eliminated Portugal from the competition with a goal scored in the final minutes.
Cristiano Ronaldo once again faced failure at the World Cup.
In the central match of the World Cup's Round of 16 stage, the national teams of Spain and Portugal clashed against each other.
The fate of the fiercely contested match was decided in its final minutes. In the 90+1st minute of added time, Mikel Merino, who had come on as a substitute, found the back of the opponent's net, securing a 1:0 victory for Spain.
Thus, Spain secured a spot in the quarterfinals, while Portugal bid farewell to the World Cup. This was expected to be Cristiano Ronaldo's last World Cup in his career, and he left the tournament already in the Round of 16 stage.
World Cup 2026, Round of 16: Portugal — Spain 0:1
Goal: Mikel Merino 90+1.
For reference, Spain will face the winner of the Belgium — USA match in the quarterfinals.
