Portugal's 2026 World Cup journey officially came to an end after a bitter 0-1 defeat to Spain in a fierce round of 16 clash at Dallas Stadium, Texas, United States, on Tuesday (7/7) early morning WIB.
The classic Iberian peninsula derby was played at a high tempo from the opening whistle. Both teams displayed open football, trading attacks. Spain created an early chance through Mikel Oyarzabal, while Portugal responded with efforts from Cristiano Ronaldo and Nuno Mendes, the latter hitting Unai Simón's crossbar.
Entering the second half, neither team's determination waned. Spain remained committed to their short-passing philosophy to break down a disciplined Portuguese defense. A golden opportunity arose from a powerful Bruno Fernandes strike in the 77th minute, but the shot missed the target.
The deadlock was finally broken as the match entered stoppage time. Mikel Merino, coming off the bench, turned hero for La Furia Roja. Capitalizing on a well-weighted through ball from Ferran Torres, Merino successfully beat the *offside* trap and fired a left-footed strike to secure Spain's victory in the 90+1 minute.
Portugal mounted one final effort to equalize through a Bernardo Silva header in the dying moments of the match. However, the attempt sailed high over the crossbar. The 1-0 scoreline in favor of Spain held until the final whistle, sending them through to the quarter-finals of the 2026 World Cup.
