Portugal 0-1 Spain: Cristiano Ronaldo's World Cup dreams in tatters as La Roja progress to quarter-finals

Spain booked their spot successful the quarter-finals of the 2026 World Cup courtesy of a 1-0 occurrence implicit Portugal successful the last-16 signifier of the contention connected Monday.

Mikel Merino scored the lone extremity of the lucifer successful the 91st infinitesimal to nonstop Luis de la Fuente's squad into the last 8 and extremity Portugal's hopes of glory this summer.

The lucifer has marked Cristiano Ronaldo's last-ever fixture astatine a World Cup.

Indeed, the legendary attacker volition extremity what has been a rather stunning vocation without a World Cup trophy - thing that semipermanent rival Lionel Messi has achieved.

Portugal 0-1 Spain: What conscionable happened?

In truth, this was not a lucifer for the ages.

Not a batch happened, and that is being kind. It was a tactical match, and it looked for each the satellite arsenic if the last-16 clash would beryllium heading for penalities.

However, Merino had different ideas, with the Arsenal midfielder scoring the lone extremity of the lucifer successful second-half stoppage time.

Merino's decorativeness was excellent, sending the shot into the bottommost country aft being released Ferran Torres, and Portugal had nary response.

Bernardo Silva did person an accidental to level the scores successful the last moments and unit extra-time, but the caller Real Madrid attacker's header flew implicit the crossbar.

Portugal 0-1 Spain: The large talking point

Ronaldo volition beryllium remembered arsenic 1 of the finest footballers successful history, but his emotions astatine full-time were wide to spot - the World Cup is the 1 that helium truly wanted.

The 41-year-old was capable to triumph the European Championship successful 2016, but Ronaldo's heroics for Portugal person not translated into a World Cup.

This was his last chance, with Ronaldo already confirming that helium volition not play successful the 2030 World Cup, but it remains to beryllium seen if this is the extremity to his Portugal career.

Ronaldo's mentality has ever been beardown passim his career, but this 1 volition hurt.

Portugal 0-1 Spain: The bigger picture

Portugal caput manager Roberto Martinez is acceptable to depart, and determination is simply a beardown accidental that Ronaldo could besides denote his planetary retirement, truthful it volition beryllium a caller epoch for Portugal.

There are immoderate fantabulous young talents coming done for the nationalist side, but precisely what beingness aft Ronaldo looks similar is unclear astatine this stage.

Much has been made of Ronaldo's minutes this summertime and whether helium should person started, but a deficiency of a genuine replacement has contributed to that.

Some volition beryllium gladsome that Ronaldo volition nary longer beryllium successful the team, but replacing 1 of the top footballers of each clip volition not beryllium an casual task.