Merino's Late Heroics
Merino Scores Stoppage-Time Winner as Spain Eliminates Portugal 1-0, Ending Ronaldo's World Cup
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Key Points
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Merino was brought on in the 85th minute for Dani Olmo and then scored the stoppage-time winner at 90+1 minutes to seal Spain's 1-0 victory over Portugal.
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The decisive goal was set up by a rapid build-up: Rodri sent a first-time pass upfield to Ferran Torres, who controlled the ball and then released Merino for the finish.
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Cristiano Ronaldo's World Cup run ends with him becoming the first male player to score in six different World Cup tournaments and finishing the tournament with 11 goals in 27 appearances.
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Nuno Mendes had a notable chance for Portugal by hitting the crossbar in the 41st minute, and he later left the match through injury in the 56th minute, with Nelson Semedo coming on as his replacement.
Mikel Merino came off the bench and scored in the 90th minute of stoppage time to give Spain a 1-0 win over Portugal in the World Cup Round of 16 on July 6, 2026, in Dallas, Texas Hiiraan Online. The late winner ends Cristiano Ronaldo's World Cup career and sends Spain to the quarterfinals.
Ferran Torres set up Merino for the finish after a sharp build-up started by Rodri. "It was crazy!" Merino said after the match Yahoo Sports. Spain advances to face Belgium in Los Angeles on July 10.
Merino's 91st-Minute Strike Breaks Deadlocked Derby
Spain manager Luis de la Fuente brought Merino on in the 85th minute to replace Dani Olmo. Six minutes later, Rodri played a first-time pass upfield to Ferran Torres. Torres controlled the ball and slid a precise pass to Merino, who fired past goalkeeper Diogo Costa to seal the win Newsy Today.
The goal was the 10th stoppage-time winner of the 2026 World Cup, according to Newsy Today. Spain outshot Portugal by a wide margin, finishing with an Expected Goals figure of 1.69 to Portugal's 0.63. Merino said he drew on personal pain to deliver: "The injury, not seeing my little one grow — I used that as strength."
Ronaldo Plays Final World Cup Match After 27 Appearances
Cristiano Ronaldo, 41, played all 90 minutes in what was his final World Cup game. He ends his tournament career with 11 goals across 27 appearances — and becomes the first male player to score in six different World Cups Hiiraan Online. He finishes as the all-time leader in international goals with 146 and caps with 233.
An emotional Ronaldo was seen in tears on the pitch after the final whistle. He later said: "I did my best. I won three titles with Portugal — before me it was zero titles. I can only be happy." Portugal manager Roberto Martínez announced his resignation immediately after the match, saying: "I came to Portugal to win the World Cup, and I think that, without winning it, there's no point in continuing."
Spain Sets World Cup Clean Sheet Record with Six Straight
Spain's win extended their streak to six straight clean sheets in men's World Cup play — a new all-time record The Intelligencer. Goalkeeper Unai Simon has now gone 609 minutes without conceding, breaking marks previously shared by Italy (1990) and Switzerland (2006–2010).
Portugal's best chance came in the 41st minute, when Nuno Mendes hit the crossbar. Mendes then left the game injured in the 56th minute, replaced by Nelson Semedo. The loss of Mendes disrupted Portugal's shape on the left flank for the rest of the match. A sellout crowd of 70,649 watched at Dallas Stadium, which also welcomed the 50 millionth fan in World Cup history during the game.
Spain Faces Belgium Next as Portugal Begins Rebuilding
Spain now travels to Los Angeles to face Belgium on July 10. Belgium beat co-host United States 4-1 to reach the quarterfinals. De la Fuente called the win over Portugal "a final before the final" and said of Merino: "He never disappoints. He's a safe bet — a world-class player." Yahoo Sports CA
Portugal faces a rebuild. Martínez's resignation leaves their squad — one of Europe's most talented — without a manager. Portuguese media widely expect former Benfica coach Jorge Jesus to take over. For Ronaldo, while he has not yet announced a full international retirement, his future role with Portugal is expected to change drastically.
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