What is the story about?
Spain’s
journey in World Cup 2026 continues as La Roja secured safe passage to the quarter-finals thanks to a hard-fought 1-0 win against Iberian rivals Portugal in Dallas on Monday’s Round of 16 clash. After a great back-and-forth battle in the first half, La Roja established their superiority in the second and sealed the victory in added time thanks to a Mikel Merino winner assisted by Ferran Torres to set up a quarter-final against the USA or Belgium on Friday.
Reactions & Observations
- If the opening 45 minutes were a wondeful back-and-forth battle between two very talented squads, the second half showed exactly why Spain are a team and Portugal are a collection of individuals: La Roja were far superior in the final period, and deservedly won the game at the end after dominating in every phase of the game.
- The much-anticipated duel between Nuno Mendes and Lamine Yamal was a lot of fun: both players were up for it and both came out on top in different moments, and it’s a real shame that it only lasted 55 minutes as Mendes was forced off with an injury.
- Yamal’s performance was far from perfect, but he was still involved in plenty of dangerous moments and did a lot of damage as a playmaker. With better finishing around him, he could have easily gotten an assist in this one.
- Luis de la Fuente isn’t exactly beloved by Barcelona fans, but his impact on this game is undeniable: two crucial substitutions (Ferran Torres and Mikel Merino) that changed the feel of the contest and ultimately won it at the end. Sorry, everyone, but he’s a good coach.
- Speaking of sorry, the apology needs to be as loud as the disrespect when it comes to Ferran: he came off the bench determined to put pressure on the Portugal defense with his non-stop running with and without the ball, and his assist for Merino’s winner was a beautiful display of his quality. Very decisive contributions from a player who will forever be underrated, even by fans of his own club.
- Spain are through as deserved winners, and after a dominant performance against Austria they showed up again and were far superior to Portugal in the second half. This is the type of win and display that makes you believe they can actually do it in a possible semi-final against France if they get past USA or Belgium in Friday’s quarter-final.
