- Merino scored a late winner as Spain beat Portugal 1-0
- The victory sent Spain into the World Cup quarter-finals
- Ronaldo’s final World Cup campaign ended with the defeat
Spain booked a place in the FIFA World Cup quarter-finals after Mikel Merino scored a dramatic stoppage-time winner to seal a 1-0 victory over Portugal on Monday, bringing Cristiano Ronaldo’s World Cup career to an end.
Eko Hot Blog gathered that Merino, who came off the bench, struck in the first minute of added time after fellow substitute Ferran Torres delivered a precise pass into his path, allowing the midfielder to calmly finish and settle a tightly contested Round of 16 encounter.
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The victory sends the reigning European champions into a quarter-final showdown with either the United States or Belgium in Los Angeles.
Played before more than 70,000 spectators at the Dallas Cowboys Stadium, the highly anticipated clash failed to produce many clear-cut opportunities for much of the game before Merino’s late intervention.
The defeat marked the end of an era for 41-year-old Ronaldo, who had confirmed before the match that the 2026 tournament would be his final FIFA World Cup appearance.
Spain entered the knockout tie with an impressive defensive record, having not conceded a goal throughout the competition, and they maintained that run against their Iberian rivals.
The match also attracted attention as a symbolic meeting between two generations of football stars, with veteran Ronaldo facing Spain’s teenage sensation Lamine Yamal.
Before kick-off, players and supporters observed a moment of reflection as a tribute to late Portugal forward Diogo Jota was displayed on the stadium’s giant screen.
Spain created the first major opportunity when Dani Olmo found Mikel Oyarzabal in space, but the forward failed to hit the target despite being one-on-one with goalkeeper Diogo Costa.
Ronaldo responded with Portugal’s first notable effort, forcing Spain goalkeeper Unai Simón into a save from a tight angle.
Spain continued to threaten through Yamal and Alex Baena, but Costa produced impressive stops to keep Portugal in the contest.
Portugal nearly broke the deadlock before half-time when Pedro Porro inadvertently diverted Nuno Mendes’ powerful effort onto his own crossbar.
Mendes, who had effectively contained Yamal for much of the match, was later forced off with an injury, reducing Portugal’s defensive stability.
As the game appeared destined for extra time, Spain found the breakthrough in stoppage time when Torres released Merino, who kept his composure to slot home the decisive goal.
The late strike secured Spain’s passage to the last eight while ending Ronaldo’s final World Cup campaign on a disappointing note.
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