SportFootballCristiano RonaldoPORTUGAL 0-1 SPAIN: Mikel Merino plundered a dramatic additional time winner for Spain to ensure Luis de la Fuente's side advance to the World Cup quarter-finals22:01, 06 Jul 2026Updated 22:35, 06 Jul 2026Cristiano Ronaldo's dream of winning the World Cup went up in smoke as Spain's Mikel Merino struck in the dying embers of their Round of 16 match to break Portugal hearts.‌All eyes were on Ronaldo and Portugal in Texas after the multi-time Ballon d'Or winner, 41, confirmed this would be his final appearance at a World Cup finals.‌And Ronaldo's final attempt to conquer the world ended with a whimper rather than a bang as Portugal were beaten late by Spain in a match that will not live long in the memory.‌Merino popped up at the death with a slick finish to set up a frantic finale as Portugal desperately tried to find the goal that would keep their World Cup dream alive.But those final few minutes were a stark contrast to the hour and a half that had preceded it.For more than an hour, it felt as though it would take more than the regulation 90 minutes for a conclusion to come.‌Spain enjoyed the lions' share of possession and the better chances but were unable to translate that into a goal, while Nuno Mendes rattled the crossbar for Portugal after his ferocious strike from the angle of the penalty area ricocheted off a white shirt.Resolute Portuguese defending thwarted Dani Olmo from breaking the deadlock late in the day as Spain upped the ante in a bid to settle this in normal time.And then it was Merino who popped up in the 91st minute to eliminate Portugal and Ronaldo. It certainly wasn't the type of performance that supporters have become accustomed to from Spain - they were certainly made the battle and fight for their victory.‌That's exactly what they did and when the moment came for them to be clinical, they were. Merino, as he has done on numerous occasions for Arsenal over the past few seasons, found himself in space and fired home a brilliant finish to power his nation into the quarter-finals.Bizarrely, it's a considerable improvement on their more recent campaigns. Since winning the World Cup in 2010, Spain have not managed to get beyond the Round of 16, even falling at the group stage in Brazil.Article continues belowAnd while they've not secured their spot in the last eight in style, not many of a Spanish persuasion will care all that much.Join our new WhatsApp community and receive your daily dose of Mirror Football content. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice.Content cannot be displayed without consentChoose Daily Mirror as a 'Preferred Source' on Google News for quick access to the news you value.‌Cristiano RonaldoWorld Cup 2026Portugal football teamSpain football team