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Spain reach World Cup quarter-finals as late goal sinks Portugal
Spain reached the quarterfinals of the World Cup after beating Portugal, with the decisive goal arriving in stoppage time. The late winner settled a closely fought match between the two Iberian rivals and secured Spain’s place in the last eight of the tournament. Only the headline details are available for this report, so the exact…
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Spain reach World Cup quarter-finals as substitute Merino sinks Portugal late
Having battled back from injury to make the World Cup, the matchwinner’s goal was a deserved payoff for unsung sacrificesAnd then, suddenly, there was Mikel Merino circling the corner flag again, another marvellous moment to emulate his father Ángel Miguel and embrace his son Marco. To hold those who got him here and the whole…
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Balogun suspension overturned by FIFA after Trump claims intervention role
After 10 years as Fifa president, could the Folarin Balogun controversy tip the balance against Gianni Infantino? Don’t bet on it.
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Russia deploys shadow-fleet drones to test NATO air defences across Europe
A new IISS report links Russia's shadow fleet vessels to 144 suspected drone incursions over NATO military bases and nuclear sites across Europe.
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Spain edge past Portugal to end Ronaldo’s World Cup run
Mikel Merino came off the bench to score in stoppage time as Spain eliminated Portugal, 1-0, in Dallas, advancing to the World Cup quarterfinals.
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Colonised Cameroonian: Mbappe condemns Paraguayan senator over racist slur
French footballer Kylian Mbappé has become embroiled in an international row after a Paraguayan senator posted racist remarks about him following France’s 1-0 World Cup win over Paraguay on 4 July in Philadelphia, where Mbappé scored a 70th-minute penalty. The episode matters because it saw a serving elected official direct openly racist abuse at one…
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Merino strikes in stoppage time to send Spain past Portugal
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…
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Spain edge past Portugal as Merino strikes late to reach quarter-finals
Spain reached the quarter-finals of the 2026 World Cup with a 1-0 victory over Portugal, secured by a late goal from substitute Mikel Merino. The midfielder scored coolly in added time, ending the match as a decisive contest and eliminating Portugal from the tournament. Merino’s introduction from the bench proved pivotal, with his composed finish…
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Spain reach World Cup quarter-finals as Merino strikes late to end Ronaldo’s career
Spain beat Portugal to reach the quarter-finals of the 2026 World Cup, with Mikel Merino scoring the only goal deep in second-half injury time. Running on to a through-ball from Ferran Torres, Merino calmly slotted past goalkeeper Diogo Costa to settle a scrappy last-16 tie and end the international tournament career of Cristiano Ronaldo, who…
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Balogun row turns a unifying TV sports moment into fresh division
But the European pearl-clutching over Donald Trump’s World Cup call is also bad-faith.