Quick Scoop: Who Won Portugal or Spain at the 2026 World Cup?

Spain won. In a tightly contested Round of 16 “Iberian Derby” on July 6, 2026, European champions Spain edged Portugal 1–0 thanks to a late injury- time goal by Mikel Merino , sending Spain into the quarter-finals and effectively ending Cristiano Ronaldo’s final World Cup run.

Match Result & Key Moment

  • Final score: Spain 1–0 Portugal
  • Deciding goal: Mikel Merino (injury time)
  • Stage: 2026 FIFA World Cup – Round of 16
  • Venue: AT&T Stadium, Arlington (Dallas area), Texas, USA

The match was described as tense and tactical, with both sides struggling to break each other down for most of the 90 minutes until Merino’s late strike settled it.

What This Means

For Spain

  • Advance to the quarter-finals , where they were set to face the winner of USA vs Belgium.
  • Reinforce their status as one of the tournament favorites after entering as European champions.

For Portugal

  • Exit the tournament at the last-16 stage.
  • Mark what multiple reports frame as the end of Ronaldo’s World Cup career , given his age and the phrasing used in coverage.

Context Leading Into the Game

Before kick-off, this was one of the most talked-about fixtures of the tournament:

  • Matchup: Portugal vs Spain – Round of 16
  • Date & time (local): Monday, July 6, 2026, 2 pm CT (19:00 GMT)
  • Narrative hooks:
    • Cristiano Ronaldo’s likely last World Cup
* Lamine Yamal leading Spain’s new generation as reigning European champions
  • Pre-match odds/models:
    • Opta’s model gave Spain around a 49% chance to win in regulation time vs Portugal’s ~26% , with roughly a 25% chance of extra time.

All of that buildup culminated in a narrow, dramatic Spanish win decided in the dying moments.

Mini Timeline of the Decider

  • Most of the match: Even, low-scoring affair with few clear-cut chances.
  • Late stage: Spain push harder, sensing extra time or penalties.
  • Injury time: Mikel Merino scores the only goal , breaking Portuguese resistance and sealing a 1–0 victory.

Bottom Line

If you’re asking “who won Portugal or Spain 2026 World Cup” for their head‑to‑head clash: Spain beat Portugal 1–0 in the Round of 16, with Mikel Merino’s last-gasp goal sending Spain through and likely closing the book on Ronaldo’s World Cup story.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.