Live coverage and text updates of the World Cup last-16 clash between Portugal and Spain in Dallas in the US.
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Portugal’s Goncalo Ramos has scored four goals and assisted one across just 170 minutes of action in the knockout stage of the World Cup.
His average of one goal involvement every 34 minutes in the knockout phase of the tournament is the best on record (since 1966) of any player to record at least three.
Previously at the #FIFAWorldCup... 🇵🇹🇪🇸 pic.twitter.com/HfJ8BLYW77
— FIFA World Cup (@FIFAWorldCup) July 6, 2026
A tournament record for Unai Simón 🧤🇪🇸#FIFAWorldCup pic.twitter.com/tbAMWCjGlr
— FIFA World Cup (@FIFAWorldCup) July 6, 2026
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Portugal came second in Group J with five points, thrashing Uzbekistan and being held to draws by the Democratic Republic of Congo and Colombia. In the round of 32, they controversially scraped past Croatia, bouncing back from a goal down to win 2-1.
Spain topped Group H with seven points, beating Saudi Arabia and Uruguay, and being held to a goalless draw by Cape Verde. In the round of 32, they stormed past Austria 3-0. La Roja are unbeaten in their last 34 matches (W25 D9), one shy of equalling their longest-ever unbeaten run of 35 set between February 2007 and June 2009.
Cristiano Ronaldo has refused to confirm that the current World Cup will be the last of his career.
The 41-year-old is playing at a record sixth World Cup and, although there are expectations he will have retired from the international scene by the time the next finals are played, partly in his home country, he stressed he would end his career on his own terms.
“I will finish when I choose. You always ask the same question: ‘Is this the last one?’ We will see. I don’t want to draw attention to this; the most important thing is to play well (tonight),” Ronaldo said in his pre-match media conference.
“I’m going to be perfectly honest, regardless of what happens, Cristiano is going to be 1,000 percent leaving with a clear conscience.
“I have given all I could to football. It’s my passion to play for so many years. I didn’t do it out of need; I’m doing well out of life. It’s about passion. I play for the national team, and I love to play football.
“Regardless of what happens, I’m not going to exert pressure on myself that I must win.
“You have to enjoy every match at a huge competition like the World Cup. I think I’m not doing so bad. I’ve scored three goals; others have done better, but I think I’m doing not so bad.”
He suggested this was his favourite of his six World Cups and added: “It’s been a beautiful experience; we’re getting better in every match.
“We know this is a tough competition, and it’s impossible to always do well. Some good teams have been eliminated, and that says everything. The team is well, calm and well prepared. We’re going to face a difficult team, but I think we will be prepared.”
Forget hydration breaks, VAR and the Golden Boot race, perhaps the biggest talking point of the World Cup so far is Cristiano Ronaldo’s involvement in the Portugal side.
The 41-year-old came under the spotlight in the opening Group K match against DR Congo, playing every minute of a 1-1 draw, but spurning good opportunities to win the game.
He answered the critics with a more accomplished display against Uzbekistan, scoring twice before the break to become the first man to register goals at six World Cups, but he might have added more in a 5-0 win in which he played the full game.
After declaring ‘I’m back’ on social media after the game, Ronaldo was on the periphery as he played the full 90 minutes of the goalless draw against Colombia, which saw Portugal finish as runners-up in the group.
There were flashes of the old CR7 in the chaotic win over Croatia which booked their last 16 place, seeing a fine dinked finish after some nice control disallowed for a marginal offside, then equalised from the penalty spot midway through the second half, however he was hauled off by Roberto Martinez on 81 minutes with the game in the balance.
His initial reaction was frustration and reluctance, shaking his head and muttering words, but off he came. Goncalo Ramos replaced him as the focal point of the attack, then headed the stoppage-time winner.
It’s worth bearing in mind that Ronaldo was dropped for the last 16 clash against Switzerland in the last World Cup in Qatar by then-boss Fernando Santos.
Ronaldo was unhappy at being substituted in the final group game shortly after the hour with the game locked at 1-1, which South Korea went on to win with a last-gasp goal.
Ramos scored a hat-trick in the 6-1 win over the Swiss, before being replaced by Ronaldo for the final 17 minutes when the score was already 5-1.
The odds are heavily stacked that Ronaldo starts, and although he is a man for the big occasion, this Spain backline is formidable as it aims to keep an unprecedented sixth straight World Cup clean sheet.
Expect Ronaldo to start through the middle, but Martinez has shown he is willing to sacrifice him in the pursuit of victory, so don’t bank on him finishing the game.
Who will score first in Spain 🇪🇸 vs Portugal 🇵🇹 at the World Cup?
🏆 #FIFAworldcup26
⚽️ LIVE coverage: https://t.co/qMDXU1OpeW
— AJE Sport (@AJE_Sport) July 6, 2026
Well, it’s arguably the tie of the round in the last 16, between two powerhouses of both European and world football.
Portugal’s failure to win their group will have caused some consternation among organisers as it arguably made their knockout run harder and ended the possibility of a Messi vs Ronaldo clash in the quarterfinal, should Portugal have managed to get past Ghana and Switzerland.
With Germany and the Netherlands having been eliminated in the Round of 32 and Brazil exiting in the last-16, the last thing the organisers will have wanted is to lose another elite nation and potential winner at this stage, but that is now guaranteed with this match-up.
The United States or Belgium will await in the last eight for the winner of Monday’s tie, with the prospect of France or Morocco to follow in the semifinals and the only chance of a showdown between global icons in Ronaldo and Messi now in the final on July 19 .
Spain 🇪🇸 face Portugal 🇵🇹 in a last-16 clash at the World Cup 2026.
Who will win? Vote Below 👇
🏆 #FIFAworldcup26
⚽ LIVE coverage: https://t.co/qMDXU1OpeW
— AJE Sport (@AJE_Sport) July 6, 2026
Norway booked their place in the quarterfinal with a stunning 2-1 win over Brazil.
Erling Haaland led the way with an historic double before Neymar replied with a late penalty on what became the final match of his Selecao career.
They will face England in Saturday’s quarterfinal in Miami (21:00 GMT) after the Three Lions overcame Mexico 3-2 in a wild match in Mexico City.
There has been little to separate Portugal and Spain in their five previous meetings at major tournaments, with each side winning once and the remaining three ending in draws.
That includes their most recent World Cup meeting, a 3-3 draw in 2018 in which Ronaldo scored a sublime hat-trick, and their last knockout clash, a goalless draw in the semifinals of UEFA Euro 2012 before Spain progressed on penalties.
Portugal, however, have won just one of their last 12 competitive meetings with Spain (D6 L5), that 1-0 victory coming more than 20 years ago in the group stages of the 2004 Euros, courtesy of Nuno Gomes.
But they will take confidence from having defeated Spain, albeit in a shootout, in their most recent meeting in the Nations League final in June 2025.
Hello, welcome and thanks for joining our live coverage of the FIFA World Cup 2026 last-16 clash between Portugal and Spain.
The eyes of the football world will be on Dallas this evening as one of the marquee match-ups of this or any World Cup pits European powerhouses Spain and Portugal together.
The Iberian neighbours have been going at it for more than a century, meeting 43 times, including several in major tournaments, but this might just be the biggest of the lot, with a place in the quarterfinals at stake.
I’m Alex Hoad, and I’ll bring you all the pre-match build-up, analysis, team news and photo coverage before kickoff.
Adam Hancock will then take you through our comprehensive minute-by-minute live text commentary.
41-year-old Cristiano Ronaldo. 18-year-old Lamine Yamal.
A generational #FIFAWorldCup match-up 🎬 pic.twitter.com/KLkrQLEVot
— FIFA World Cup (@FIFAWorldCup) July 6, 2026
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