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Spain midfielder Mikel Merino scores his team's late goal in the 2026 World Cup round of 16 vs Portugal at the Dallas Stadium in Arlington on July 6, 2026. [Thomas COEX / AFP]
Spain defeated Portugal 1-0 on Monday to end Cristiano Ronaldo's World Cup dream and reach the quarter-finals as the United States aimed to shrug off controversy surrounding reprieved striker Folarin Balogun in a last-16 showdown with Belgium.
Spanish substitute Mikel Merino coolly slotted the winner in the first minute of stoppage time to seal victory in a dour contest between the two Iberian football rivals at the AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas.
The Spanish victory sends the 2010 champions into a quarter-final on Friday against either the United States or Belgium, who meet in Seattle later on Monday.
