Merino late strike sends Spain past Portugal and Ronaldo in World Cup last 16
Quick summary
Spain eliminated Portugal from the World Cup with a last-minute goal from Merino, sending Cristiano Ronaldo's side out of the tournament in the round of 16.
Full article
Attributed to original sourceIt ended with a goal from a tall, slightly ungainly figure driving through the centre-forward position – but perhaps not the one that the narrative demanded. In injury time, Mikel Merino ran on to Ferran Torres’s through-ball and, with an impressive calm after a scrappy game that had largely lacked it, rolled the winner past Diogo Costa. He celebrated, as he had at the Euros two years ago, with a run around the corner flag, echoing his father’s celebration after scoring for Osasuna in Stuttgart in 1991, whole at the other end, another centre-forward slumped. For Cristiano Ronaldo, this was the end.
In truth, Ronaldo’s end has been coming for at least four years, since the last-16 tie at the Qatar World Cup when he was left out against Switzerland and his replacement Gonçalo Ramos scored a hat-trick in a 6-1 win. It wouldn’t be fair to say he bowed out not with a bang but with a whimper, because in truth it wasn’t even that. This was the least effective of farewells.
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What happened
In a World Cup round of 16 match, Spain secured a dramatic late victory over Portugal thanks to a stoppage-time goal from Merino. The result eliminates Portugal and Cristiano Ronaldo from the tournament. The match appeared destined for extra time before Merino's decisive intervention gave Spain passage to the quarter-finals. The defeat marks another major tournament exit for Ronaldo and Portugal at the knockout stage.
Chance analysis
This result has significant implications for both nations' World Cup campaigns. Spain advance as a key contender while Portugal's aging core, built around Ronaldo, faces renewed questions about its competitive ceiling in knockout football. The nature of the defeat — a late concession — will be particularly painful for Portugal, who likely felt they could have taken the tie to extra time. For prediction systems, Spain gains momentum while Portugal's tournament is over, shifting focus to the quarter-final draw.
Spain progress to the World Cup quarter-finals with momentum; Portugal and Ronaldo are eliminated from the tournament.
Spain's late win boosts their tournament trajectory while confirming Portugal's elimination; adjust any ongoing World Cup predictions accordingly.