'He has the ability' - Simon explains why Spain must stop Ronaldo against Portugal

Spain goalkeeper Unai Simón has warned his teammates not to underestimate Cristiano Ronaldo, insisting the Portugal captain remains one of the world's most clinical finishers despite entering the latter stages of his illustrious career.

The Athletic Bilbao shot-stopper made the remarks ahead of Spain's highly anticipated FIFA World Cup 2026 Round of 16 encounter with Portugal in Dallas, where Ronaldo will once again lead his country's attack.

Although Simón acknowledged that Ronaldo is no longer at the peak of his athletic powers, he stressed that the veteran forward continues to possess an exceptional ability to score from limited opportunities.

The Spanish international believes keeping Ronaldo away from dangerous areas will be crucial if Spain are to progress to the quarter-finals.

He said, "The Cristiano we have at this World Cup is not the same as six or seven years ago when he was at his peak. But we have to try to keep him as far away from the area as possible. In the Nations League final, he had one ball inside the area and scored.

"He has that goal-scoring ability that we would all like to have on our team."

Simón also explained why Ronaldo continues to trouble defenders despite the physical changes that naturally come with age.

According to the Spanish goalkeeper, the Portuguese legend's intelligence, movement and experience make him one of the most dangerous players inside the penalty area.

He added, "What Cristiano has is that, in the box, he turns himself around to finish, looks for through passes, and creates space. He has great experience and teammates he's played with for a long time and understands everything perfectly.

"If he gets into the box, he's decisive. He reads these situations very well, and we have to be prepared for everything."

The five-time Ballon d'Or winner is featuring in his sixth FIFA World Cup, having recently scored his first-ever goal in a World Cup knockout match, Ronaldo will be aiming to inspire Portugal to victory against one of the tournament favourites.