Merino strikes in stoppage time to send Spain past Portugal
FIFA WC26
0-1
Finished
0-1
Finished
Key moments
-
89'
Yellow card
BERNARDO SILVA (Portugal) is booked by -
90'+1'
Goal
Mikel MERINO (Spain) scores!! -
90'+3'
Yellow card
RENATO VEIGA (Portugal) is booked by -
90'+8'
Yellow card
Ferran TORRES (Spain) is booked by
Squads
Portugal squad
- Selected
-
1 DIOGO COSTA
Goalkeeper -
3 RUBEN DIAS
Defender -
7 CRISTIANO RONALDO
C Forward -
8 BRUNO FERNANDES
Midfielder -
11 JOAO FELIX
Forward -
13 RENATO VEIGA
Defender -
15 JOAO NEVES
Midfielder -
18 PEDRO NETO
Forward -
20 JOAO CANCELO
Defender -
23 VITINHA
Midfielder -
25 NUNO MENDES
Defender -
2 NELSON SEMEDO
Defender -
4 TOMAS ARAUJO
Defender -
5 DIOGO DALOT
Defender -
6 MATHEUS NUNES
Midfielder -
9 GONCALO RAMOS
Forward -
10 BERNARDO SILVA
Midfielder -
12 JOSE SA
Goalkeeper -
14 GONCALO INACIO
Defender -
16 FRANCISCO TRINCAO
Forward -
17 RAFAEL LEAO
Forward -
19 GONCALO GUEDES
Forward -
21 RUBEN NEVES
Midfielder -
22 RUI SILVA
Goalkeeper -
24 SAMU COSTA
Defender -
26 FRANCISCO CONCEICAO
Forward
Spain squad
- Selected
-
10 Dani OLMO
Forward -
12 Pedro PORRO
Defender -
14 Aymeric LAPORTE
Defender -
15 Alex BAENA
Midfielder -
16 RODRI
C Midfielder -
19 Lamine YAMAL
Forward -
20 PEDRI
Midfielder -
21 Mikel OYARZABAL
Forward -
22 Pau CUBARSI
Defender -
23 Unai SIMON
Goalkeeper -
24 Marc CUCURELLA
Defender -
1 David RAYA
Goalkeeper -
2 Marc PUBILL
Defender -
3 Alex GRIMALDO
Defender -
4 Eric GARCIA
Defender -
5 Marcos LLORENTE
Defender -
6 Mikel MERINO
Midfielder -
7 Ferran TORRES
Forward -
8 Fabian RUIZ
Midfielder -
9 GAVI
Midfielder -
11 Yeremy PINO
Forward -
13 Joan GARCIA
Goalkeeper -
17 Nico WILLIAMS
Forward -
18 Martin ZUBIMENDI
Midfielder -
25 Victor MUNOZ
Forward -
26 Borja IGLESIAS
Forward
Spain beat Portugal 1-0 in their World Cup 2026 last-16 tie on 6 July 2026, securing a place in the quarter-finals. The result eliminates Portugal and ends Cristiano Ronaldo's hopes of winning the tournament.
The winning goal came deep in stoppage time from substitute Mikel Merino, who was introduced as an impact player and settled a tightly contested match. The tie had remained goalless until his late strike decided it.
- Spain beat Portugal 1-0 to reach the World Cup quarter-finals.
- Substitute Mikel Merino scored a stoppage-time winner.
- Defeat ends Ronaldo's hopes of World Cup glory.
Art Culture Europe Sport World
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Originally published by BBC Sport as “Spain into quarter-finals after Merino’s late winner against Portugal”.