Portugal 0-1 Spain: Merino's Late Strike Sends Spain Into Last Eight
Mikel Merino's 91st-minute goal gave Spain a 1-0 victory over Portugal in the World Cup last 16, sending La Roja into their first quarter-final since 2010 and ending Cristiano Ronaldo's final World Cup campaign.
11 July 2026
Result
Portugal 0-1 Spain. A game that looked destined for extra time was settled in the 91st minute when Mikel Merino, on as a substitute, bundled home the winner at Dallas Stadium, Arlington, Texas. Spain advance to their first World Cup quarter-final since 2010. Portugal go home, ending what is almost certainly Cristiano Ronaldo's final appearance at a World Cup.
Portugal created the better chances in a tight, tactical contest. Ronaldo had two shots on target and worked Unai Simon in the Spain goal, but could not find the finish. Spain had spells of possession without cutting through, until Merino's late intervention flipped the tie.
Pool impact
If you picked Spain in your Last Man Standing pool, you got the result but not the comfort. A goalless 90 minutes with Portugal consistently threatening makes this the kind of narrow escape that tests pool nerves. Spain were the marginal favourites on paper but delivered nothing like a safe progression.
For Score Predictor players, a 0-1 correct score was a strong result. The margin was always likely to be one goal in a fixture of this calibre, and Spain's defensive record meant a Portugal blank was a solid call. Anyone who backed 1-0 to Spain picked up valuable points.
Pre-match forecasts
Most observers saw this as the pick of the last-16 ties and a genuine toss-up. Spain's possession-based approach against Portugal's counter-attacking threat made a single-goal margin the most widely expected outcome, and that is exactly what materialised. If anything, pre-match forecasts slightly favoured Portugal's ability to nick it on the break, given Spain's occasional vulnerability in transition.
Standout stats
Spain have now kept five consecutive clean sheets at this World Cup. That streak is the foundation of their run. Portugal had three shots on target to Spain's two, and Ronaldo's personal expected-goals figure of 0.28 tells you the chances were not clear-cut but were present. One goal from open play in 91 minutes tells the story of two high-class sides cancelling each other out until the final moment.
What comes next
Spain face the winner of the second quarter-final for a place in the semi-finals. They have not conceded a goal at this tournament and carry that defensive certainty into the last eight. Portugal face a period of transition; Ronaldo's international career is all but over, and the next generation must now step forward.
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