Spain reached the FIFA World Cup 2026 quarterfinals after substitute Mikel Merino scored in the 91st minute to secure a 1-0 win over Portugal national football team in Dallas on Monday.
The late goal ended Portugal’s campaign and brought the curtain down on Cristiano Ronaldo’s World Cup career. The 41-year-old had said before the round-of-16 tie that the 2026 tournament would be his last World Cup.
Merino had been on the field for only six minutes when Spain took a quickly played free kick. Fellow substitute Ferran Torres found Merino unmarked near the edge of the penalty area, and the midfielder placed his finish into the bottom corner.
Spain had more of the ball through much of the match but found Portugal difficult to break down. Both sides created chances in an open first half, with Spain goalkeeper Unai Simon saving efforts from Ronaldo and João Félix, while Portugal goalkeeper Diogo Costa denied Lamine Yamal and Alex Baena.
Portugal came closest before the break when Nuno Mendes’ shot was deflected onto the crossbar. Ronaldo also had a second-half volley go wide after João Félix’s cross reached him at the back post.
Portugal nearly forced extra time in stoppage time, but substitute Bernardo Silva headed over from a late opportunity.
“Mikel Merino never lets us down, he’s a safe bet,” Spain coach Luis de la Fuente said after the match. “He helped us win the European Championship and is always there when it counts.”
Portugal midfielder Bruno Fernandes said his side had arrived with the aim of winning the tournament but had not performed at its best.
“Obviously, Spain deserve credit,” Fernandes said. “They have quality and great players, but I think that, based on what we did in the first half, if we’d carried on like that, we would have come away with a different result.”
Spain will face the winner of the United States-Belgium round-of-16 match in the quarterfinals on Friday.
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