Portugal Vs Spain, FIFA World Cup 2026 RO16: Preview and live streaming details

Are we going to see the last dance of Cristiano Ronaldo in a Portuguese shirt at the FIFA World Cup tomorrow? Certainly, he doesn’t want Portugal’s Round of 16 match against Spain to be his last appea

Published: July 6, 2026, 5:35 PM IST

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Cristiano Ronaldo (L) of Portugal attends a press conference ahead of the round of 16 match between Portugal and Spain at the 2026 FIFA World Cup. Lamine Yamal (R) of Spain attends a training session ahead of the round of 16 match between Portugal and Spain at the 2026 FIFA World Cup in Dallas

Are we going to see the last dance of Cristiano Ronaldo in a Portuguese shirt at the FIFA World Cup tomorrow? Certainly, he doesn’t want Portugal’s Round of 16 match against Spain to be his last appearance for the European Selecao, who will be put to their first big test against La Roja at the Dallas Stadium from 12:30AM (IST) onwards.

A total of 4 nations have already secured qualification to the quarter-finals with the last edition’s semi-finalists France and Morocco locking horns in a replay of the 2022 semi-final on Friday, July 10 and Harry Kane’s England taking on the Erling Haaland-led Norwegian side on Sunday, July 12.

While France and Morocco booked their tickets to the quarters last week, England and Norway confirmed their spots with their impressive victories against co-hosts Mexico (3-2) and 5-time champions Brazil (2-1) respectively.

Also Read: FIFA World Cup 2026: Donald Trump steps in to reverse Folarin Balogun’s one-match ban but…

By tomorrow morning, 2 more nations would have qualified for the next knockout round with co-hosts United States of America facing 2018 Bronze medallists Belgium in the subsequent Round of 16 match after Portugal’s fixture against Spain.

How Portugal reached the Round of 16?

Portugal had a rollercoaster of a ride en route to the Round of 16. After winning just once in the group stages, where they finished 2nd below Colombia, the European Selecao had a tough test against Croatia in the Round of 32.

A penalty from Cristiano Ronaldo in the 68th minute cancelled Croatia’s lead which they took in the 53rd minute, thanks to Ivan Perisic. It had seemed as if the match was heading to extra-time but Goncalo Ramos’ sensational header, 4 minutes into the 2nd half’s injury time, helped Portugal take the lead but there was another twist.

Croatia found the back of the net through Josko Gvardiol towards the 10th-12th minute of added time but the goal was eventually ruled out by the thinnest of margins by the on-field referee who felt that Igor Matanovic was on an offside position when the ball arrived at his feet. The Croatians were in absolute disbelief but that’s just how the sport goes sometimes.

Spain’s outstanding record

Spain had a much more dominant route to the Round of 32, topping Group H with 2 wins and a goalless draw against debutants Cabo Verde. La Roja then registered a massive 3-0 victory over Austria in the Round of 32 and currently they are the only side in the 2026 FIFA World Cup to not concede a single goal.

As a matter of fact, Spain’s defensive superiority helped their goalkeeper Unai Simon set a Guinness World Record for keeping his clean sheet streak alive for the longest period of time in the quadrennial event.

The reigning European Champions have never lost to Portugal in the FIFA World Cup in both of their only two meetings in 2010 and 2018. However, recent history is on the European Selecao’s side who defeated the Spaniards in last year’s UEFA Nations League final. The winner of this game either of USA or Belgium in the quarter-finals.