Spain edged past fierce rivals Portugal with a dramatic stoppage-time winner to secure a 1-0 victory and a place in the quarter-finals of the 2026 FIFA World Cup. In a tactical battle between two European heavyweights, it was the impact of the Spanish substitutes that ultimately proved decisive.

The fixture carried added intrigue following the nations' most recent meeting in the UEFA Nations League final, where Portugal lifted the trophy after a 2-2 draw and a penalty shootout triumph.

Spain made the brighter start and should have gone ahead inside eight minutes. Mikel Oyarzabal timed his run perfectly to beat the offside trap and found himself one-on-one with Diogo Costa, only to send his effort wide of the target.

The pressure continued in the 16th minute when Lamine Yamal curled a superb effort towards the far corner, forcing an excellent save from Diogo Costa. Moments later, the Portuguese goalkeeper reacted brilliantly again to deny Álex Baena from the rebound.

Just after the half-hour mark, another dangerous delivery into the penalty area caused problems for Portugal. Diogo Costa could only push the ball into the path of Mikel Oyarzabal, but the forward somehow steered his finish wide with the goal at his mercy.

Portugal finally threatened before the interval. João Félix kept the ball alive and teed up Cristiano Ronaldo, whose awkward effort was comfortably gathered by Unai Simón. Four minutes later, Nuno Mendes unleashed a powerful strike from the edge of the area following a corner, with the ball taking a deflection off Pedro Porro before crashing against the crossbar.

The second half developed into a tense tactical contest, with both defences firmly on top and clear-cut chances proving almost impossible to create. As extra time loomed, Spain found the breakthrough in the first minute of stoppage time through two players introduced from the bench.

Ferran Torres split the Portuguese defence with a perfectly weighted vertical pass, sending Mikel Merino through on goal. The midfielder kept his composure and fired a low finish inside the near post to spark wild celebrations among the Spanish players and supporters.

World Cup 2026

Portugal - Spain 0:1 (0:0)
Goals: Merino, 91 (0:1)

Portugal: Costa D.; Cancelo (Dalot, 71); Veiga; Mendes N. (Semedo N., 56); Dias R.; Vitinha F. (Bernardo Silva, 83); Fernandes B.; Félix J. (Rafael Leão, 71); Neves J. P.; Cristiano Ronaldo; Pedro Neto (Conceicao F., 83)
Substitution: Semedo N. (from 56); Dalot (from 71); Rafael Leão (from 71); Conceicao F. (from 83); Bernardo Silva (from 83)
Bench: José Sá; Rui Silva; Araújo T.; Inacio; Samú Costa; Matheus Nunes; Ruben Neves; Guedes G.; Ramos G.; Trincão
Yellow Cards: Bernardo Silva 89; Semedo N. 94

Spain: Simón U.; Cubarsí; Porro; Laporte; Cucurella; Olmo (Merino, 85); Álex Baena (Torres F., 75); Rodri; Oyarzabal (Iglesias, 97); Yamal; Pedri (Fabian Ruiz, 85)
Substitution: Torres F. (from 75); Merino (from 85); Fabian Ruiz (from 85); Iglesias (from 97)
Bench: Raya; García Jo.; Pubill; Grimaldo; Garcia E.; Zubimendi; Llorente M.; Gavi; Pino Y.; Muñoz Vic.; Nico Williams
Yellow Cards: Torres F. 98