Spain knock out Portugal with Merino's injury-time goal as Ronaldo bows out of the World Cup

Spain eliminated Portugal 1–0 in the 2026 FIFA World Cup round of 16 on Monday 6 July, booking a quarter-final place with an injury-time winner from substitute Mikel Merino in front of 70,649 supporters at Dallas Stadium in Arlington, Texas.

The Arsenal midfielder, restored to fitness after 114 days out with a foot injury, came off the bench in the closing stages and slotted past goalkeeper Diogo Costa in the 90th minute after Ferran Torres, also a substitute, threaded the ball through the Portugal defence. It was a decisive moment for a match that had largely failed to match its billing, with Spain generating an expected-goals figure of 1.77 against Portugal's 0.60.

For Cristiano Ronaldo, 41, the defeat drew a curtain on his World Cup career. The Portugal captain had confirmed before kick-off that the 2026 tournament would be his last. "This will be my last World Cup," he told reporters on Sunday, adding that he hoped it would not also be his final match. It was.

Post-match, Ronaldo stopped short of announcing his full retirement from international football. "I can't confirm whether this was my last match for the national team or not," he said. "I don't make my decisions in the heat of the moment or based on emotions." He added that he left "with a clear conscience," having represented Portugal for 23 years.

Six World Cups, one record

Ronaldo departs the World Cup stage having played in six consecutive tournaments, from Germany 2006 to the United States, Canada and Mexico in 2026 — a record unmatched in the men's game. His goal against Uzbekistan in the group stage made him the first male player to score in six separate World Cup tournaments. He finishes the 2026 edition with three goals and 146 international goals across 232 caps, the highest total ever recorded by a men's player.

He played 90 minutes against Spain and touched the ball just 19 times.

Merino: from crutches to match-winner

The goal belonged to Merino, whose place at the tournament had seemed unlikely only months earlier. The 30-year-old had spent 114 days out after undergoing foot surgery, returning just in time for Arsenal's final Premier League fixture of the season. "A lot of joy, a big relief," Merino said afterwards. "To be able to help the team in such an important moment, in the last minute of the game, is what we play for."

It was not the first time he had delivered for Spain under pressure: he scored the quarter-final winner against Germany at Euro 2024 in extra time.

What both teams created

Spain should have been ahead inside ten minutes when Mikel Oyarzabal, played through by Dani Olmo, pulled his shot wide with only Costa to beat. Portugal's best moment came when a deflected Nuno Mendes effort cannoned off the crossbar, directed there inadvertently by Spain full-back Pedro Porro. Lamine Yamal, Spain's 18-year-old forward and the tournament's most-watched player, was kept largely in check by Mendes until the Portugal left-back was forced off injured.

Spain's coach Luis de la Fuente confirmed after the match that his side had controlled the game's underlying numbers throughout.

Quarter-final draw

Spain will face Belgium in Los Angeles on Friday. Belgium eliminated the United States 4–1 earlier on Monday, ending the hopes of one of the three tournament co-hosts. Spain, who have not won the World Cup since 2010, are among the surviving favourites.

Portugal's exit ends a tournament in which Roberto Martínez's side never fully convinced despite their individual quality — Bruno Fernandes in particular failed to impose himself — and leaves open the question of how the next generation will be built around what comes after Ronaldo.