2026 World Cup

Spain beat Portugal in the closing stages, whilst Belgium thrashed the USA

A late goal from Merino sees Spain through to the next round. Following the controversy surrounding the Balogun incident, Belgium beat the USA 4–1. The two teams will face each other in the quarter-finals on 10 July in Los Angeles

by Marco Bellinazzo

7 July 2026

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Lo spagnolo Ferran Torres (7) e il portoghese Ruben Dias (3) corrono verso la palla durante la partita degli ottavi di finale dei Mondiali di calcio tra Portogallo e Spagna, disputata lunedì 6 luglio 2026 ad Arlington, in Texas, vicino a Dallas. (AP Photo/Gareth Patterson/APS)

3' min read

Translated by AI

Versione italiana

3' min read

Translated by AI

Versione italiana

The two round-of-16 matches in the top half of the draw produced very different thrills. In Dallas, Spain knocked out Portugal with a last-gasp goal from Mikel Merino, whilst in Seattle, Belgium dominated the United States, winning 4–1 and securing their place in the quarter-finals. The two winners will now face each other in the quarter-finals on 10 July in Los Angeles. It will be a clash between two teams brimming with confidence and quality, though Spain appear slight favourites thanks to their extraordinary defensive solidity and the consistency they have shown so far in the tournament.

Portugal v Spain 0–1

The Iberian derby at the AT&T Stadium in Dallas lived up to the hype and proved to be a very intense match. The first big chance fell to Spain: Oyarzabal, played in inside the box, squandered a chance from a promising position that looked like a certain goal. Shortly afterwards, Cristiano Ronaldo responded with a powerful shot that was saved by Unai Simón.

In the first half, the Furie Rosse tried to dominate possession, but Portugal created the most dangerous chances on the counter-attack. The best chance fell to Nuno Mendes, whose deflected shot struck the crossbar. João Félix and Ronaldo himself also tested the Spanish goalkeeper.

In the second half, the match became more tactical. Lamine Yamal found little space, closely marked by the Portuguese defence, whilst Rodri and Pedri dictated the pace of the game without managing to find the decisive opening. Just when it looked as though the match was heading for extra time, the move that decided the match arrived.

In the 91st minute, Ferran Torres – who had only just come on but was one of the most proactive players – found a perfect channel for Mikel Merino to run into; facing Diogo Costa, Merino made no mistake, scoring the 1–0 that sent Spain through to the quarter-finals.

Spain have once again demonstrated their strength: a fifth consecutive clean sheet and a remarkable ability to keep their cool at crucial moments. Rodri brought balance to the team, and De La Fuente’s substitutions proved decisive. The man of the match was probably Mikel Merino, not only for his goal that secured qualification but also for the impact he made as soon as he came on.

For Portugal, Nuno Mendes stood out in particular, as did – at times – Cristiano Ronaldo, who tried right until the very end to spur his team on. For CR7, this may well have been the last World Cup match of his career.

United States v Belgium 1–4

In Seattle, Belgium immediately dictated the pace of the game. After a few early chances for Tielemans and Castagne, the Red Devils took the lead in the 9th minute: amid confusion in the American penalty area, Charles De Ketelaere was quickest to react, beating Freese to make it 1–0.

The United States equalised in the 31st minute thanks to Malik Tillman, whose deflected free-kick caught Courtois off guard. The home crowd’s excitement, however, lasted barely two minutes. In the 33rd minute, following a precise cross from Trossard, De Ketelaere rose highest to head home, scoring his second goal of the match and putting Belgium back in front.

The decisive moment came in the second half, in the 57th minute. A serious error by goalkeeper Freese in bringing the ball out left De Ketelaere with a clear run on goal, and he set up Hans Vanaken to make it 3–1 into a virtually empty net.

The US tried to fight back, but Courtois was always alert. In stoppage time, in the 90’+3’ minute, Romelu Lukaku sealed the victory with the goal that made it 4-1.

Belgium probably played their best match of the tournament. Rudi Garcia’s side were superior both technically and tactically, capitalising on every mistake their opponents made. The man of the match was, without a doubt, Charles De Ketelaere, who scored two goals and provided an assist.

The United States paid the price for defensive naivety and too many individual errors. Tillman was one of the few to come out of it unscathed, alongside Pulisic, thanks to his determination and initiative.

The Balogun case

The build-up to the USA v Belgium match had been dominated by the Balogun case. The US striker had been sent off against Bosnia and Herzegovina and was initially suspended for one match. However, FIFA suspended the sanction, allowing him to play against Belgium – a decision that sparked fierce controversy and even an appeal from the Belgian Football Association.

On the pitch, however, Balogun failed to make a decisive impact. He worked hard for the team, won the free-kick that led to Tillman’s goal and tested Courtois in the second half, but he failed to find the net and was unable to turn the game around.