The high-stakes clash between Portugal and Spain in the Round of 16 of the 2026 World Cup ended with tension on the pitch. Spain secured their passage to the quarter-finals after defeating Portugal with a narrow 1-0 scoreline at the AT&T Stadium in Arlington on Tuesday (7/7) morning WIB.
Spain's winning goal came dramatically through Mikel Merino in the 90+1st minute. As the final whistle blew, Bernardo Silva, who had just failed to capitalize on Portugal's last golden opportunity, was seen still lying on the pitch in deep disappointment.
The situation escalated when Spanish midfielder Rodri celebrated the victory right next to Bernardo Silva's position. Unable to accept the action, Bernardo immediately got up and showed his frustration to Rodri, triggering a brief scuffle at the end of the match.
Responding to the incident, Rodri admitted that he had personally apologized to his Manchester City teammate. He explained that the celebration was done spontaneously in the same spot where Bernardo had missed the chance, without any intention of excessive provocation.
"I have already apologized to him, and the matter is resolved. We trust each other. Now our focus is on continuing to improve and enhancing aspects of our game for the next match," Rodri said post-match.
The match itself was highly competitive from the start. Both teams traded attacks with dangerous chances from Cristiano Ronaldo, Lamine Yamal, to Pedri. However, defensive discipline and the agility of the goalkeepers kept the scoreline deadlocked until the final minutes, before Mikel Merino's action finally sealed Spain's progression to the last eight.
