By SCHUYLER DIXONTuesday July 7, 2026
With regulation nearly gone and extra time beginning to look unavoidable, Spain coach Luis de la Fuente had Mikel Merino still waiting on the bench, cautious about using his substitutes too soon.
The Arsenal forward soon made the concern irrelevant.
Merino struck in the first minute of second-half stoppage time Monday, lifting Spain to a 1-0 victory over Portugal and bringing Cristiano Ronaldo’s World Cup career to an end.
The decisive sequence began moments after Merino had been knocked to the ground and a foul was given. As Portugal’s Bernardo Silva protested, Merino quickly put the ball back in play, surged toward goal and, after a slick chain of passes finished by Ferran Torres’ clever feed through the center, calmly beat goalkeeper Diogo Costa.
“He’s one of the best in his position worldwide, and he has given us a fantastic result and a fantastic goal,” de la Fuente said through a translator. “I want to express the importance of substitutes that came in later in the game. Not just today, but the contribution in other games has been enormous.”
Spain, now unbeaten in 35 consecutive matches, moved into the World Cup quarterfinals for the first time since capturing its lone title in 2010. La Roja will face Belgium, which defeated the United States 4-1, on Friday in Inglewood, California.
Ronaldo had been seeking to lead Portugal into back-to-back World Cup quarterfinals for the first time. Instead, soccer’s greatest global tournament closed on the all-time leader in international goals (146) and appearances (233).
Merino was not introduced until the 85th minute, but his sharp reaction underlined the all-around quality that helped Arsenal secure its first Premier League championship in more than two decades this spring.
His place at the World Cup had not been assured after right foot surgery ended his Arsenal season early. Merino turned 30 during the tournament.
Yet when Spain needed a finish most, he arrived fresh and composed, driving a left-footed shot into the left corner. Once he broke free from a swarm of celebrating teammates, Merino circled the corner flag and roared, both fists clenched.
It was a celebration with family history. His father, Miguel Merino, marked goals that way more than 30 years ago during his club career in Spain. Mikel first copied it after scoring late against host Germany to send Spain into the European championship semifinals two years ago.
The goal was Merino’s first at a World Cup and his 11th for Spain.
“What better way to celebrate,” Merino said. “You remember all the good and the bad, and there have been difficult moments for me this year.”
The latest chapter between the Iberian Peninsula rivals, whose first meeting was a friendly in Madrid 105 years ago, unfolded in stark contrast to their previous World Cup encounter.
Eight years earlier, Ronaldo produced his only World Cup hat trick in a 3-3 group-stage draw against Spain, a match widely remembered among the tournament’s classics.
The 41-year-old star scored three goals in this World Cup, but he found little room against Spain goalkeeper Unai Simón, who pushed his World Cup scoreless streak to 609 minutes. Spain also became the first team to post six consecutive shutouts at the World Cup.
Ronaldo’s clearest opening came in the 37th minute, when Joao Felix’s header glanced off Simón’s left shoulder and looped toward him. Ronaldo improvised with a deft right-footed back kick, but the attempt lacked enough pace, allowing Simón to recover and leap for the save.
“I’ll wake up tomorrow like I woke up today, with a clear conscience,” said Ronaldo, who a day earlier had repeated his previous declaration that his sixth World Cup would be his last. “I gave my best. I won three titles with Portugal. Before Cristiano, Portugal hadn’t won any title. So, I’m happy. The biggest title that I won with the national team was in 2016 (European Championship), which for me had the same dimension as a World Cup, honestly.”
Portugal threw numbers forward in search of an equalizer during the final eight minutes of stoppage time. Silva came close with a header that sailed just over the bar.
The tense defensive duel came two days shy of the one-year anniversary of Portugal’s win over Spain in a dramatic UEFA Nations League final, decided on penalties after a 2-2 draw.
The nations’ other World Cup meeting also ended 1-0 to Spain in the round of 16, during La Roja’s title-winning run in South Africa.
“It was a great match. Two superb teams,” de la Fuente said. “As we had said it, it was like an anticipated final. As it was expected, we had to suffer until the very end.”
Then Merino stepped off the bench and ended the suffering.
