Today Portugal-Spain, aiming for the quarterfinals. Spectacle guaranteed

2026-07-06 07:45:00, Sport CNA

One of the most important matches of the 1/8 stage of the World Cup takes place this Monday evening, where Portugal and Spain will fight for a place in the quarterfinals. The two Iberian national teams come into this match with positive results and with the objective of continuing their journey in the tournament.

Portugal secured their place in the knockout stages with a 2-1 victory over Croatia. Roberto Martinez's side struggled throughout the match but managed to pull off the winner thanks to Gonçalo Ramos' stoppage-time winner. The Portuguese are on the verge of a historic goal as they aim to reach back-to-back World Cup quarter-finals for the first time.

Portugal's form before this match is positive, having won 12 of their last 17 matches, drawn 4 and lost just 1. Another important element is that in the last nine matches the team has not conceded more than one goal per match. This gives Portugal a strong base for a challenge that could also be decisive for the future of Cristiano Ronaldo.

The Portuguese captain continues to be in the spotlight. If Portugal are eliminated, this will be Ronaldo's last World Cup appearance. The veteran striker scored against Croatia from the penalty spot and continues to be one of the team's main references in the offensive department.

Spain, on the other hand, comes into this match after a convincing 3-0 victory over Austria. Luis de la Fuente's team completely dominated the match and became the first team since Germany in the 2014 final to not allow a single shot on target in a World Cup knockout match.

Defense has been one of Spain's main weapons at this tournament. The team has conceded just four goals in 11 major matches under Luis de la Fuente, who remains unbeaten in major tournaments with a record of 10 wins and 1 draw. Spain have kept nine clean sheets in their last 10 official matches and have only picked up two yellow cards so far in this World Cup.

The history of the two teams promises a balanced duel. Although Portugal won the Nations League final last year, statistics show that the Portuguese have won only one of the 12 official matches played against Spain in regular time. In these matches, there have also been 6 draws and 5 victories for the Spanish side.

Everything is set for a clash between two teams that have shown consistency throughout the tournament. Portugal aims to continue their path to another quarter-final, while Spain seeks to maintain their positive streak and secure a place among the top eight teams of the World Cup. The winner of this challenge will take another step towards the big goal of the tournament.