Spain will play the winner of the USA versus Belgium game in the quarterfinals of the 2026 FIFA World Cup following their 1-0 win over Portugal on Monday evening.
The round of 16 fixture had few moments of spark, and it seemed the match would head into extra time.
However, one of Spain’s two late substitutes, Mikel Merino, pounced on a delightful pass from Ferran Torres to score the winner for the European champions.
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Merino ran into space on the edge of Portugal’s box and found the narrowest of spaces to beat an advancing Diego Simon in goal for Portugal.
The attention of the watching world was naturally drawn to Cristiano Ronaldo after the game, when he announced his retirement from international football over the weekend.
Spain had also beaten Portugal on their way to winning the European Championship two years ago.
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