Spain reached the World Cup quarter finals after substitute Mikel Merino scored a late winner in a 1-0 victory over Portugal, ending Cristiano Ronaldo’s final appearance at the tournament.
The European champions will face Belgium in the quarter finals on Friday in Los Angeles.
The match at the Dallas Cowboys’ stadium attracted a crowd of 70,649 fans. Despite high expectations, the game produced few clear chances and appeared headed for extra time.
Merino changed the result in the first minute of stoppage time after fellow substitute Ferran Torres set him up for the winning goal.
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The defeat marked the end of Ronaldo’s World Cup career, who now plays in Saudi Arabia, he had already confirmed before the match that this would be his final appearance on football’s biggest stage.
Both teams entered the match unbeaten, but Spain continued their strong defensive record by keeping another clean sheet. The tournament favorites have not conceded a goal so far.
The match was also seen as a meeting between two generations of football talent, with Ronaldo representing experience and Spain’s star Lamine Yamal carrying the hopes of the next generation.
Before kickoff, players and fans observed a tribute for late Portugal forward Diogo Jota, whose image was displayed on the stadium screen.
Portugal captain Ronaldo tested Spain goalkeeper Unai Simon with a powerful shot from a difficult angle, but Spain controlled much of the pressure during the first half.
Yamal and Alex Baena forced saves from Portugal goalkeeper Diogo Costa, while Portugal came close to scoring before halftime when a Nuno Mendes shot hit the crossbar after a deflection.
Merino’s calm finish decided a tense match and sent Spain into the quarterfinals, while Portugal exited the tournament.
