Mikel Merino struck deep into stoppage time to send Spain into the quarter finals of the 2026 FIFA World Cup with a hard fought 1-0 victory over Portugal at Dallas Stadium. In a tense last 16 contest that produced few moments of real quality, the Arsenal midfielder came off the bench to deliver the decisive goal and end Cristiano Ronaldo’s World Cup dream.
Spain started the brighter of the two sides and should have taken the lead after just nine minutes. Alex Baena found Dani Olmo, whose perfectly weighted through ball released the in form Mikel Oyarzabal. However, with only Diogo Costa to beat, the Real Sociedad forward dragged his effort wide of the right post.
La Roja continued to push forward and almost broke the deadlock in the 17th minute. Lamine Yamal’s curling effort forced Costa into an excellent save before Baena pounced on the rebound and aimed for the top corner. Once again, the Portuguese goalkeeper reacted superbly to keep the scores level.
The clash also marked a notable milestone. It was the first time since the 2014 World Cup that two nations ranked inside FIFA’s top five at the start of the tournament had met before the quarter finals. The previous occasion came when Germany defeated Portugal 4-0 during the group stage.
Spain continued to control possession, but Portugal’s defence stood firm. In the 31st minute, Pedro Porro’s run down the right won a corner before Pedri clipped an inviting cross into Olmo, whose header failed to trouble the goal after the assistant referee had already raised the offside flag.
Portugal finally threatened in the 37th minute. Pedro Neto delivered a deep cross that Joao Felix nodded into Cristiano Ronaldo’s path. The veteran striker connected with the effort, but Unai Simon gathered comfortably.
The closest either side came before the break arrived four minutes later. Nuno Mendes exchanged passes from a short corner before unleashing a fierce strike that deflected off Porro and crashed against the crossbar, giving Spain a huge escape.
The first half ended goalless, with Spain looking the more dangerous side despite the lack of clear chances. Luis de la Fuente’s men carried a superior expected goals tally of 0.98 compared to Portugal’s 0.26.
Portugal started the second half with greater urgency. In the 52nd minute, Neto burst clear down the wing and drilled a dangerous cross into the six yard area, but neither Ronaldo nor Joao Felix could apply the finishing touch.
Spain responded midway through the half. Yamal curled a free kick on target in the 73rd minute, forcing Costa to tip the ball over the crossbar. Six minutes later, Dani Olmo spun brilliantly inside the penalty area before Ruben Dias produced a vital block to deny him.
Just when extra time looked inevitable, Spain found the breakthrough in stoppage time. A quickly taken free kick caught Portugal off guard before Fabian Ruiz released Ferran Torres, who threaded a clever pass into the path of substitute Merino. The Arsenal midfielder kept his composure and calmly slotted his finish into the bottom left corner beyond Costa to make it 1-0 in the 91st minute.
Merino’s strike also carried historical significance, becoming the 50th goal scored by a substitute at the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
Portugal desperately searched for an equaliser. Bernardo Silva came closest in the sixth minute of stoppage time when he met Francisco Conceicao’s cross with a flicked header, but the effort landed on the roof of the net. Moments later, Bruno Fernandes delivered another dangerous ball into the box, only for Joao Neves to head agonisingly wide.
It was a disappointing contest for long periods, but Spain will not care after securing their place in the last eight. Portugal, meanwhile, were left to wonder whether they had shown enough ambition during the match.
The defeat also brought another painful chapter in Cristiano Ronaldo’s World Cup career. Despite an extraordinary career spanning two decades, the Portugal captain has still not scored from any of his 30 non penalty shots in World Cup knockout matches across six tournaments. His only knockout stage goal came from the penalty spot against Croatia earlier in this competition.
The match also highlighted the changing of generations. When Ronaldo made his World Cup debut for Portugal in 2006, Spain winger Lamine Yamal had not yet been born. The 18 year old is 23 years younger than the Portuguese legend, who praised the teenager before the game, saying: “He is a player with a lot of future” and he has “many talents”.
Spain now march into the World Cup quarter finals, while Portugal’s campaign comes to an end after a night decided by one moment of quality from Mikel Merino.
