- Spain nick Q-final berth in dramatic last-minute strike
- It’s no-show again for Bruno Fernandes
It is now official Cristiano Ronaldo’s FIFA World Cup 2026 dream is over. A bitter 1-0 loss to fierce rivals and difficult neighbours, Spain, in the round of 16 may have finally brought his illustrious tournament career to a devastating end.
A 91st-minute strike from Mikel Merino sealed the Portuguese elimination in what was meant to be a glorious swansong. Unfortunately, it now looks like a bitter curtain call and Ronaldo’s glittering World Cup journey has come to a heartbreaking halt.
With the match locked in a tense stalemate at the Dallas Stadium, substitute Mikel Merino struck a dagger into Portuguese hearts with a 90th-minute winner.
For one of the sport’s greatest legends, who had already confirmed this would be his final tournament, the dramatic last-gasp exit signals the end of an era in the most crushing fashion.
In a match where the legendary attacker was peripheral, Merino’s stoppage-time strike settled in a very harsh way an underwhelming heavyweight tie in Dallas.
The first half of the Iberian derby was evenly matched. Joao Cancelo lashed over from range at one end seven minutes in, and Mikel Oyarzabal was played clean through at the other straight afterwards only to pull his shot wide.
As the two sides continued to exchange attacks, Ronaldo drew a routine stop from the angle and Portugal goalkeeper Diogo Costa sprang into action to make an excellent double save from Lamine Yamal and Alex Baena’s curling efforts.
Portugal edged into the ascendency late in the half. Joao Felix’s back-post header caused chaos in the Spanish box, but Ronaldo’s improvised flick towards goal didn’t have enough power to bother Unai Simon. The Seleccao’s best moment arrived shortly before the break, when Nuno Mendes’ fierce strike was deflected onto the crossbar.
Spain seemed to lack ideas with their main man, Yamal, mostly nullified and marked out of the game for long stretches. Yet they did their job defensively, too, and kept Portugal at bay, especially the dangerous Cristiano Ronaldo, who found himself starved of clear-cut opportunities.
The second period was largely a damp squib, although Costa was forced to push a Yamal free-kick over the top and Fernandes slashed a shot into the side-netting at the other end. But then came the hammer blow.
In the 91st minute, Spanish substitute Mikel Merino was slipped through by Ferran Torres’ cute pass, and he fired a perfect low finish beyond the stranded goalkeeper to win the tie and send Portugal and Ronaldo packing.
Things almost turned around as substitute Bernardo Silva came so close to leveling out of nowhere in the final minute of stoppage time, but his flicked header landed on the roof of the net. – With Goal.com report
