Spain has knocked out Portugal as Mikel Merino’s late goal ended Cristiano Ronaldo’s World Cup dream.
NewsOnline Nigeria reports that Spain national football team booked their place in the FIFA World Cup quarter-finals after a dramatic 1-0 victory over Portugal national football team, with Mikel Merino scoring a stoppage-time winner to end Cristiano Ronaldo’s World Cup campaign.
The Round of 16 encounter at Dallas Stadium appeared destined for extra time before Merino struck in the first minute of added time to send Spain into the last eight.
Ronaldo, widely expected to be making his final appearance at the World Cup, led Portugal’s attack alongside João Félix and Bruno Fernandes, creating several dangerous moments and testing Spain goalkeeper Unai Simón in the opening half.
However, Spain’s disciplined defence, marshalled by Rodri, successfully contained Portugal’s attacking threats for much of the contest.
Portugal goalkeeper Diogo Costa kept his side in the game with a series of crucial saves, including an impressive double stop to deny Spain’s attackers, while Ronaldo continued to search for an elusive breakthrough.
Portugal suffered a setback midway through the second half when Nuno Mendes was forced off with a hamstring injury, disrupting the team’s defensive balance as Spain increased the pressure.
The decisive moment came in stoppage time when Ferran Torres delivered a quick free-kick into the penalty area, setting up Merino, who calmly slotted the ball past Costa to seal Spain’s place in the quarter-finals.
The late winner sparked jubilant celebrations among Spanish supporters while leaving Portugal heartbroken after an otherwise resilient tournament campaign, which included a dramatic victory over Croatia national football team in the previous round.
Spain now advance to the quarter-finals with their impressive defensive record intact, keeping alive their hopes of lifting a first major international trophy in years.
