Portugal Eliminated by Spain as Belgium End USA’s World Cup Dream

Portugal were knocked out of the 2026 FIFA World Cup in the Round of 16 after suffering a dramatic 1-0 defeat to Spain at AT&T Stadium in Arlington.

With the match seemingly destined for extra time, substitute Mikel Merino emerged as the hero, scoring the winning goal in the first minute of stoppage time just six minutes after coming off the bench. His late strike sent La Roja through to the quarter-finals, where they will face Belgium.

At the final whistle, emotions overwhelmed Cristiano Ronaldo as the Portugal captain left the pitch ahead of his teammates to a standing ovation from the crowd before breaking down in tears, in what may prove to be the final match of his international career. The 41-year-old had confirmed on the eve of the game that the 2026 World Cup would be the last tournament of his career, although he stopped short of officially announcing his retirement from international football.

Portugal head coach Roberto Martínez, whose contract expires this month, also confirmed that the match marked the end of his tenure with the national team.

Spain, meanwhile, continued to make history by extending their unbeaten run to 35 matches, equalling the longest streak in the nation’s history, previously achieved between 2007 and 2009. They also became the first team to keep six consecutive clean sheets in a single FIFA World Cup, while head coach Luis de la Fuente joined an exclusive group of managers—including France’s Aimé Jacquet and the Netherlands’ Louis van Gaal—who remained unbeaten in their first 12 matches across the FIFA World Cup and UEFA European Championship.

Belgium Respond in Style

In another Round of 16 encounter, Belgium ended the World Cup journey of co-hosts the United States with a convincing 4-1 victory in Seattle, setting up a blockbuster quarter-final clash against Spain.

The match was surrounded by controversy before kick-off after FIFA suspended the ban imposed on American striker Folarin Balogun, a decision that prompted an official protest from the Belgian Football Association. The dispute intensified after U.S. President Donald Trump revealed that he had personally asked FIFA president Gianni Infantino to reconsider the case.

Despite Belgium’s objections, FIFA rejected the appeal and allowed Balogun to play. Several Belgian players and officials later suggested they had been angered by what they described as an unfair decision, using it as extra motivation during the match.

Belgium made the perfect start when Charles De Ketelaere opened the scoring in the ninth minute. The United States equalised through Malik Tillman from a free-kick that was inadvertently deflected past Thibaut Courtois by Hans Vanaken.

However, De Ketelaere quickly restored Belgium’s lead with a well-placed header before half-time.

After the interval, substitute Hans Vanaken capitalised on a costly mistake by American goalkeeper Matt Freese, who misplaced a pass, allowing the Belgian midfielder to score from long range. Substitute Romelu Lukaku then completed the scoring deep into stoppage time with a powerful finish from inside the penalty area.

The victory extended Belgium’s dominance over the United States, marking their seventh consecutive win against the Americans in all competitions. Lukaku also made history by becoming the first Belgian player to score three or more goals in multiple World Cup tournaments, having previously achieved the feat at the 2018 finals. He also became the first player in World Cup history to score as a substitute in four different matches.