Spain stun Portugal with last-gasp winner as Ronaldo’s World Cup journey ends

Mikel Merino became Spain’s super-sub hero after scoring a last-gasp winner to lead the Spanish national team to a 1-0 victory over Portugal, sending La Roja into the quarter-finals of the 2026 FIFA World Cup and bringing Cristiano Ronaldo’s international World Cup journey to a painful end.

The Iberian derby in the Round of 16 ended in high drama at AT&T Stadium in the Dallas area, United States, as Spain, the 2010 world champions, found a miracle winner in stoppage time. The narrow victory sent Spain into the last eight for the first time in 16 years, while ending the final World Cup appearance of Ronaldo, one of football’s greatest legends.

The match was tense and cagey throughout the 90 minutes and appeared destined for extra time. However, the decisive moment came in the 90+1st minute when Merino, the Arsenal midfielder who had been sent on in the 85th minute, made an immediate impact.

Taking advantage of a quickly taken free-kick, Merino surged into the penalty area to receive a pass from Ferran Torres before calmly placing a left-footed finish past Portugal goalkeeper Diogo Costa and into the net. Spain then held on to the 1-0 lead until the final whistle, as Spanish fans erupted in celebration.

The victory extended Spain’s unbeaten run under coach Luis de la Fuente to 35 matches. Spain also set a new World Cup record by keeping a clean sheet for 609 consecutive minutes, while still not conceding a single goal in the tournament.

Spain will now move into the quarter-finals, where they will face the winner of the clash between the United States and Belgium in California on Friday.

For Portugal, the defeat marked the official end of an era for 41-year-old Cristiano Ronaldo. The forward had earlier confirmed that his sixth World Cup would be his last.

Ronaldo fought hard throughout the match and came closest to scoring in the 37th minute, when his back-heel attempt was gathered by Spain goalkeeper Unai Simon.

After the final whistle, the world-record international appearance holder, with 233 caps and 146 goals for Portugal, left the pitch in tears before speaking with dignity about the end of his journey.

“Tomorrow I will wake up with the clearest and calmest feeling,” Ronaldo said. “I gave my best and gave everything for Portugal. Before me, Portugal had never won a major title, but together we won the European Championship in 2016. For me, that Euro title was as great and meaningful as winning the World Cup. I am happy and proud of everything I have done.”

His farewell closed a historic chapter in world football.

Source: Reuters