Portugal vs Spain FIFA World Cup 2026 Highlights: Key Moments & Match Summary

Cristiano Ronaldo's hopes of winning the FIFA World Cup came to an end after Portugal lost 1-0 to long-time rivals Spain, who reached the quarter-finals thanks to Mikel Merino's stoppage-time winner.

The match offered very few clear chances, but Merino made the difference in added time. The Arsenal midfielder timed his run perfectly between Portugal's central defenders before calmly placing his shot into the bottom corner.

Before the match, Ronaldo had confirmed that this would be his final World Cup. The defeat has now raised questions over whether one of football's greatest players has also played his last international match.

In this article, we will take a look at the highlights of the latest clash between Portugal and Spain. Let’s first take a quick overview of the match below.

Portugal vs Spain FIFA World Cup 2026 Match Summary

Mikel Merino came off the bench to score a stoppage-time winner as Spain beat Portugal and secured a place in the World Cup quarter-finals after a high-profile clash in Dallas.

The second half produced very few clear chances, with Spain struggling to break through Portugal's defence. However, Ferran Torres played a perfectly timed through ball to Merino, who calmly fired a low shot past goalkeeper Diogo Costa in the 91st minute to seal the victory.

Talking about the start, Spain had a great chance to take the lead just three minutes into the match when Dani Olmo's pass sent Mikel Oyarzabal through on goal, but the Real Sociedad forward pulled his shot wide.

Portugal goalkeeper Diogo Costa then made two excellent saves in quick succession to deny Lamine Yamal and Alex Baena as Spain kept pushing for the opening goal.

Portugal looked more confident after the restart, but Cristiano Ronaldo found it difficult to make an impact in attack. The second half offered very few clear chances as both teams struggled to create meaningful opportunities towards the end.

Portugal came close in the 76th minute when Bruno Fernandes fired into the side netting. Spain responded soon after, but Dani Olmo's effort from inside the penalty area was bravely blocked by Ruben Dias. Moments later, two Spanish substitutes combined to produce the decisive goal that sent their team to the quarter-finals of the FIFA World Cup 2026.

Portugal vs Spain FIFA World Cup 2026 Match Result

• Final Result: Spain 1-0 Portugal

Portugal vs Spain FIFA World Cup 2026: Goals and Key Moments

• The first half ended 0-0 despite chances for both teams.
• Diogo Costa made key saves to keep Portugal level.
• Nuno Mendes hit the crossbar before half-time.
• Bruno Fernandes fired into the side netting in the second half.
• Mikel Merino scored the winner in stoppage time from Ferran Torres' pass.
• Spain won 1-0 to reach the World Cup quarterfinals.

Watch Highlights on tapmad

The latest World Cup clash between Portugal vs Spain was streamed live on tapmad. It was a highly competitive contest that remained evenly balanced before Mikel Merino scored the stoppage time winner to seal the Spanish victory. If you were unable to watch the live action of this game, head over to the highlights section now to watch a quick recap of the match without any ads.