Spain beat Portugal in stoppage time to reach the quarter-finals of the 2026 World Cup
The Spanish national team defeated Portugal in the round of 16 at the 2026 World Cup. The match at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, USA, ended 1–0.
The Spaniards started the match strongly and could have opened the scoring as early as the 8th minute. Dani Olmo put Mikel Oyarzabal through one-on-one with Diogo Costa, but the forward shot wide of the right-hand post.
In the 12th minute, Portugal created a dangerous chance. Cristiano Ronaldo struck from the right-hand side of the penalty area, but Unai Simón tipped the ball away for a corner.
Spain came close to scoring on several more occasions after that. In the 16th minute, Diogo Costa saved dangerous shots from Lamine Yamal and Alex Baena, and in the 30th minute, following a cross from Pedri, Dani Olmo headed the ball just wide of the left post.
Towards the end of the first half, the Portuguese attack also had their chances. In the 37th minute, João Félix laid the ball off to Cristiano Ronaldo, but Unai Simón dealt with his shot. Four minutes later, Nuno Mendes shot from the edge of the penalty area; the ball ricocheted off Pedro Porro and struck the crossbar.
Early in the second half, Portugal lost Nuno Mendes to injury; he was replaced by Nelson Semedo in the 56th minute.
The Spaniards scored the winning goal in stoppage time. In the 90+1st minute, Mikel Merino, following a pass from Ferran Torres, fired a precise shot from inside the penalty area into the near corner to secure victory for his team.
In the World Cup quarter-finals, Spain will face the winner of the match between the USA and Belgium, which takes place on 7 July at 03:00 Kyiv time.
In the group stage, Spain finished top of Group H, drawing with Cape Verde, thrashing Saudi Arabia and beating Uruguay. In the round of 32, the reigning European champions beat Austria 3–0.
Portugal finished second in Group K after draws with the DR Congo and Colombia and a victory over Uzbekistan. In the round of 16, Cristiano Ronaldo’s side beat Croatia 2–1.
The 2026 World Cup runs from 11 June to 19 July in the USA, Mexico and Canada. For the first time, 48 national teams are taking part in the tournament.
