2026 FIFA World Cup: Ronaldo will never be champion as Spain advance to prove Mikel Arteta right again

Portugal's World Cup journey has come to a sad end as a late Mikel Merino goal helped neighbours Spain win 1-0 and advance into the quarter-finals.

Billed as the tie of the round, the football on display was entirely underwhelming, a tactical chess match in which both teams prioritised opposition nullification.

After a tepid 70 minutes, both managers turned to the bench, making a host of changes. Luis de la Fuentes substitutes had the greater impact, as Merino and Ferran Torres combined for the winner.

Spain will advance to face the winner between the USA and Belgium, while Portugal will return to the drawing board, aiming for the 2030 World Cup on home soil without their greatest ever player, Cristiano Ronaldo, who announced this week that the tournament in North America would be his last,

Hence, Portugal's exit means Ronaldo will join the pantheon of greats to never win the World Cup: Johan Cruyff, Ferenc Puskás, Alfredo di Stefano, Neymar, Paulo Maldini, Eusebio, etc.

Entering the Round of 16 clash, the narrative was framed around Portugal's dangerous counter-attacking punch against Spain's suffocating possession-based system. 

Luis de la Fuente's side had yet to concede a single goal in the tournament, and they maintained that flawless defensive record by dictating the tempo from the opening whistle.

Despite featuring creative outlets like Bruno Fernandes and João Félix, Roberto Martínez’s Portugal found themselves chasing shadows for long stretches. However, Spain also struggled to break down a resolute Portuguese defence.

The first 45 minutes were defined by a lack of clear-cut opportunities. Spain's Lamine Yamal and Álex Baena forced Diogo Costa into important saves, while Ronaldo tested Unai Simón with a powerful effort from the right side of the penalty area, but the sides entered the interval locked at 0-0.

As the match wore on, both managers turned to their benches to find a breakthrough. De la Fuente introduced Mikel Merino and Ferran Torres, while Martínez brought on Rafael Leão and Francisco Conceição to inject much-needed pace into the Portuguese attack. 

And just as the Dallas crowd braced for 30 minutes of extra time, Spain caught Portugal completely sleeping. Following a foul on Rodri 40 yards from goal, Spain took a quick free-kick. Ferran Torres slipped a clever ball down the inside-left channel to Mikel Merino, who slotted a low, hard finish into the bottom corner to give La Roja a 1-0 lead just six seconds into stoppage time.

Desperate to salvage their World Cup hopes, Portugal threw everything forward. A late free-kick from Bruno Fernandes was missed by João Neves in the box, and the final whistle blew shortly after, sparking wild Spanish celebrations and leaving the Portuguese players devastated on the turf.