FIFA World Cup 2026 | Round of 16, Match 88 | Monday, 6 July 2026 AT&T Stadium, Dallas, Texas | Referee: Anthony Taylor | Attendance: 90,000+
Cristiano Ronaldo announced on Sunday that this would be the last World Cup of his career. On Monday in Dallas, it ended.
Cristiano Ronaldo’s Portugal were eliminated from the World Cup on Monday in the round of 16 as a 91st-minute goal from substitute Mikel Merino sent Spain into the last eight with a 1-0 win.
The cameras kept finding Ronaldo’s face. At the final whistle he stood in the middle of the pitch and looked at the sky. Forty-one years old. Six World Cups. No tournament victory. The greatest goalscorer in the history of international football, still standing, still feeling the weight of it.
It marked the 42nd football meeting between two European giants, the third of which coming on this stage. The first dates back to 2010, resulting in a victory for the Spaniards, followed by an enthralling 3-3 draw during the 2018 group stages. Add a 2025 Nations League final that Portugal won on penalties. Now this. A fourth meeting at the highest level and Spain have the record.
The match was decided by two substitutes. Spanish coach Luis de la Fuente brought on Ferran Torres and Merino as second-half subs, and that paid off late with Torres slipping a quick ball into the box where the Arsenal midfielder did the rest, finishing at the near post for the win.Merino arrived without a moment to settle. Torres found him. The finish was composed for a player who had been on the pitch for minutes. The wrong end of the stadium knew instantly. The right end was still processing it when the whistle went.
The first half had been entertaining and goalless. In the 8th minute, Spain had a golden chance to take the lead. Oyarzabal found himself in on goal after Dani Olmo sent him clean through, but he dragged his shot wide of the post. A miss that will be dissected endlessly given how the game unfolded. Onside, clean through, the goal gaping. Wide.
Diogo Costa was outstanding throughout. In the 16th minute, he first denied Lamine Yamal, then moments later produced another outstanding save to keep out Baena. Two excellent stops from the Portuguese goalkeeper. Without those two saves in the 16th minute, the match could have been settled before the half-hour mark.
Nuno Mendes had a deflected effort cannon off the crossbar in the first half<— Portugal’s closest moment before the goal that did not come. After that, Bernardo Silva gets up and flicks his header onto the roof of the goal. In truth, he really should score.</cite> The moment of the second half. Conceicao’s delivery from the right was perfect. Bernardo Silva, unmarked, arriving at the back post — and the ball bounced off the woodwork and over.
Ronaldo. He had tested the Spanish defence with an effort that drifted wide. He had been involved, held the ball up, pressed defenders. At 41, none of it quite clicked. The tournament that might have been his farewell gift to himself did not deliver. Not this time.
Bruno Fernandes came closest late on. Fernandes launches it in, Joao Neves meets it with a diving header, but it goes agonisingly wide. Truly agonising. Neves diving, ball dipping, missing. The crowd’s sharp intake of breath. And then Merino had already scored and none of it mattered.
For Portugal, who had an inferior xG of 0.60 to Spain’s 1.77, it’s another disappointment. They had chances. They created moments. But Spain’s structure throughout the tournament has been extraordinary — crucially, they are yet to concede in the tournament so far. Still no goals against in five matches. Unai Simón’s streak continues into the quarter-finals.
Roberto Martínez steps down from the Portugal role after the defeat. His tenure ends here. What comes next for Portuguese football is a separate question for a later day.
For Spain, a quarter-final against Belgium awaits at Los Angeles Stadium. The Red Devils — who beat USA 4-1 earlier Monday in Seattle — came through their own dramatic contest. Spain versus Belgium. European champions against an old rival. Dallas’s gift to Los Angeles.
For Ronaldo, the question now is whether this was truly his last act in an international shirt or whether he will reconsider. He said Sunday it was his last World Cup. He did not say it was his last match. The difference matters to a man who has defined international football for two decades and has not yet decided he is finished.
For live World Cup scores and quarter-final coverage, visit fawanews.org.uk. Full results, standings and knockout bracket at the official FIFA World Cup website.
Spain 1-0 Portugal FIFA World Cup 2026, Round of 16, Match 88 | Monday, 6 July 2026 AT&T Stadium, Dallas, Texas | Referee: Anthony Taylor
Goal: Mikel Merino 90’+1′ (assist: Ferran Torres)
Portugal near misses: Nuno Mendes crossbar (first half), Bernardo Silva header onto roof of goal, Joao Neves diving header wide
Spain (4-2-3-1): Simón; Porro, Le Normand, Vivian, Cucurella; Rodri, Pedri; Yamal (Torres HT), Olmo (Merino 75′), Morata; Oyarzabal (Iglesias 88′)
Portugal (4-3-3): Costa; Cancelo, Araújo, Rúben Dias, Mendes; Vitinha, Neves J., Fernandes B.; Conceiçao, Ronaldo, Silva B.
Stats: xG Spain 1.77 — Portugal 0.60 | Diogo Costa saves: at least 3 | Spain — fifth consecutive game without conceding | Half-time: 0-0
Quarter-final: Spain vs Belgium (Los Angeles Stadium — Friday July 11)
