Mikel Merino's late goal sends Spain to quarterfinals and ends Cristiano Ronaldo's World Cup career for Portugal

Tuesday, 7 July 2026

Dallas: For Spain, a 1-0 win in a densely absorbing World Cup knockout match is football heritage, and that was what they delivered here, in a match billed as a duel between the generation-spanning talents of Cristiano Ronaldo and Lamine Yamal which was actually settled by a late goal from Mikel Merino, an unflashy midfielder with a knack of finding the net.

For Ronaldo, this was surely the end of an international tournament career which began in 2004, and sadly for him, it ended with a whimper. He had a couple of first-half shots, but otherwise he offered nothing, sucking the life out of this Portugal attack. When Portugal finally created a clear headed chance in the 94th minute, the sort of opportunity that Ronaldo once thrived on, the sort of chance whose conversion is surely his only purpose in this team, it was not Ronaldo on the end of it, but the 5ft 8in Bernardo Silva, who headed the ball onto the roof of the net.

Spain began well. Mikel Oyarzabal had an early shot from a high turnover, which he hit straight down Diogo Costa's throat. Lamine delivered a cut-back just behind Dani Olmo. Then came a huge opportunity, Portugal cut open by what was effectively just a zig-zag, a series of diagonal forward passes down the centre of the pitch, ending with Olmo springing Oyarzabal, who was played onside by Renato Veiga. Oyarzabal dragged the finish horribly wide then looked for an offside flag, and when none came sandwiched his head in his hands, his face an anguished bocadillo of regret.

Ronaldo as ever was barely involved in the general play, but he had his moments: two shots which were, in fact, the first first-half saves that Unai Simon has had to make in this World Cup. The first came from Bruno Fernandes robbing Pedri high up the pitch and feeding Ronaldo, who did a little stepover then rattled Simon's gloves from a tight angle.

At the other end, Costa was distinguishing himself. Lamine cut inside onto his left and drew a good save with a curling from the corner of the box, Costa pushing the ball out but not safe. Alex Baena, seizing on it, then had the mirror-image shot, perfectly placed, destined for the far corner, only for Costa to produce a magnificent save with his top hand.

Then came Ronaldo's second effort. Joao Felix strained every sinew to nod a deep cross back into the six-yard box, but the ball was behind Ronaldo. Where once he might have launched himself into a sensational acrobatic effort, this time he could only hook the ball goalwards without enough pace or power to trouble Simon.

Nuno Mendes, probably the world's best left back, had had an excellent half, largely containing the usually irrepressible Lamine, and he came closer than anyone to breaking the deadlock with a shot from a short-corner routine, rattling the bar via the head of Pedro Porro.

Spain, strangely for a team yet to concede in the tournament, were not looking impregnable. Pedro Neto fired a dangerous ball across the goalmouth, just too strong for Ronaldo. Then came a blow for Portugal, Mendes sitting down then trudging off, clearly unable to continue. On came Nelson Semedo, a player with only 13 career appearances at left back, to defend against Lamine.

The Spanish superstar then had a whipped free kick that was dipping under the bar before Costa tipped it over.

A burst, a through ball and suddenly it looked as though he was in behind Semedo, but Lamine instead chose an unselfish pass to Baena, which was intercepted.

At the other end, Fernandes connected with a full-blooded volley which rippled the side netting.

Spain were the team applying more pressure though. Olmo bought himself a yard against Semedo, but Ruben Dias was behind him, and thwarted the shot with a brilliant block. Yamal then threaded a brilliant pass to the substitute Ferran Torres, whose pull-back went across the face of goal without a touch.

Ronaldo's immobility continued to hamper Portugal's effort to get behind the Spanish defence: at one point, a promising transition was almost immediately defused when the ball was passed to Ronaldo, who checked and passed backwards.

But with the introduction of Silva and Francisco Conceicao, Roberto Martinez had made his five substitutes, and Ronaldo was condemned to stay on for 120 minutes, if necessary.

It didn't come to that. It was a well-made goal by Spain, Fabian Ruiz finding Rodri, who passed to Torres, who slipped the ball through a gap in the Portuguese defence to Merino, who coolly slotted the ball past Costa.

Ronaldo had been left out there all game for a finish like that. Instead, all he got was an ending.

– The Times, London