Image source: Alamy Stock Photo
Mikel Merino scored an injury time winner as Spain defeated Portugal 1-0 in a 2026 World Cup Round of 16 match at Dallas Stadium on Monday.
The 2010 World Cup winners edged this Iberian derby to set up a Quarterfinal against either the United States or Belgium in Los Angeles on Friday night.
Following a frantic start at the Dallas Stadium, Mikel Oyarzabal received the first notable scoring chance of the match in the seventh minute after Spain breached the Portugal backline with incisive play, however, the Spanish star fluffed his lines and saw his effort go well wide of the mark.
Portugal looked threatening going forward, particularly after winning consecutive corners in the 11th minute, one of which that was carved out by Cristiano Ronaldo, who stunned Unai Simon with a stinging shot inside the area.
Spain came close to scoring on two occasions shortly before the hydration break as they troubled Portugal with rapid transition play. Lamine Yamal was first to test Diogo Costa in goal with a curling left-footed strike, which was then followed up by Alex Baena’s right-footed inswinger that was expertly saved by the goalkeeper.
Portugal created numerous scoring chances leading up to the break, particularly after Nuno Mendes struck the crossbar with an attempt that took a wicked deflection following a corner situation. Ronaldo likewise had a sniff at goal after seeing an acrobatic attempt being cleared off the line following a cut-back header by Joao Felix in the 34th minute.
Much like the first, the second started at a rapid pace with Portugal applying early pressure in their attempts to break the deadlock. At the other end of the pitch, Spain found the going tough and were challenged with aggressive defending as the hour-mark approached.
As the dust settled in the second 45, Spain began seeing more of the ball and pushed Portugal back into their own half for large periods leading up to the second hydration break. However, neither side created any notable scoring opportunities during this period.
Bruno Fernandes and Dani Olmo created some of the best chances for their nations in the second-half, while the pace of the game slowed down with around 75 minutes on the clock. It was a tale of constant missed chances during the closing stages of the match as both sides made crucial mistakes going forward.
However, it was Spain who managed to break the deadlock in the 91st minute through second-half substitute Mikel Merino. After being awarded a free-kick inside the Portugal box, Spain restarted the match in swift fashion with a quick passing move en-route to goal before the final pass found Merino inside the box, who capped off the sequence with a well-taken left-footed shot.
While Portugal came close to scoring an equalizer through a Bernardo Silva header during stoppage time, Spain managed to hold on and booked their ticket into the tournament’s final eight.
Portugal: 0
Spain: (0) 1 (Merino 90+1’)
Portugal: Costa, Cancelo (Dalot 71’), Dias, Veiga, Mendes (Semedo 56’), Neves, Vitinha (Silva 83’), Neto (Conceicao 83’), Fernandes, Felix (Leao 71’), Ronaldo
Spain: Simon, Cucurella, Laporte, Cubarsi, Porro, Rodri, Pedri (Ruiz 85’), Olmo (Merino 85’), Baena (Torres 75’), Oyarzabal (Iglesias 96’), Yamal
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