Portugal vs Spain live: Mendes strikes the crossbar in goalless World Cup showdown

Advertisement

Live

Portugal vs Spain live: Mendes strikes the crossbar in goalless World Cup showdown

Sport

Advertisement

A World Cup quarter-final spot is at stake in the Iberian derby.

A World Cup quarter-final spot is at stake in the Iberian derby. © FMM Graphic Studio

European champions Spain face Iberian rivals Portugal in a last-16 showdown pitting teen prodigy Lamine Yamal against 41-year-old Cristiano Ronaldo. Win or lose, the Portuguese veteran has vowed he will be “one thousand per cent” at peace with his career. Follow our liveblog for minute-by-minute match commentary.

The teams

Portugal: Diogo Costa, Joao ​Cancelo, Ruben Dias, Renato Veiga, Nuno Mendes, Vitinha, ​Joao Neves, Bruno Fernandes, Pedro Neto, Joao Felix, Cristiano Ronaldo.

Spain: Unai Simon, Pedro Porro, Pau Cubarsi, Aymeric ⁠Laporte, Marc Cucurella, Rodri, Pedri, Dani Olmo, Lamine ⁠Yamal, ​Alex Baena, Mikel Oyarzabal

Read moreWorld Cup 2026: All the fixtures

Second half under way

Play resumes with the teams unchanged.

Half-time reading

The Trump/Infantino/Balogun controversy is far from over.

Half-time!

Nothing much happens and the referee sends the players back to the changing rooms.

FIFA have allowed for three hours between this match and the next, perhaps because they suspected this one might go all the way to penalties.

Yamal misfires

The Spain youngster attempts a bizarre shot from close range and misses goal completely, but he’s offside anyway.

Six minutes of injury time

Rodri attempts a forgettable shot from distance. It’s miles over the bar.

Joao Felix thwarts Yamal counter

The Portugal forward does very well to track back and toe the ball away from Lamine Yamal, who was racing towards goal.

Portugal hit the crossbar!

From a corner, Nuno Mendes fires a ferocious drive that Porro deflects with his head, ouch, onto the crossbar.

So close!

Ronaldo with a chance!

Suddenly, Portugal break and Neto whips a lovely ball into the Spain area.

Joao Felix heads it towards Ronaldo, who hooks the ball with his back to the goal but can’t give it enough power to trouble Simon.

Danger in the Portugal box

It’s all Spain again.

Yamal finds Olmo on the right, who rolls the ball across goal but Cancelo is there to clear ahead of the lurking Oyarzabal.

Olmo just wide!

The Portugal keeper parries a cross/shot with his foot, only to pass the ball to Olmo whose header is just wide of the post.

Diogo Costa plunges to deny Spain’s Baena. Credit: Hannah Mckay, Reuters

Drinks!

Time for the first hydration/adverts break.

Spain back on top

Baena threatens down the left again but his pass is a little too heavy for Cucurella and Ruben Dias clears.

After a couple of Portugal attacks the Spaniards have the upper hand again.

Costa with back-to-back saves!

The first stops a Yamal curler from the right. Then Baena picks up the loose ball on the left and Costa does brilliantly to tip the ball away for a corner.

Both shots were heading in.

Ronaldo tests Simon!

Ronaldo, again, smacks a powerful shot straight at the Spain keeper, from a tight angle.

It’s another corner for Portugal, but the defence clears.

Ronaldo appeals for penalty

Corner for Portugal and the veteran drops to the turf in the Spain box, but the referee is not interested.

Better from the Selecao.

What a miss!

A glorious chance for Oyarzabal who is through on goal but sends the ball wide of the far post — possibly thinking he was offside.

The replay shows he wasn’t.

Oyarzabal with the first shot on target

The Real Sociedad forward, who has quietly made his way to four goals in this tournament, fires from distance but it’s central and no trouble for Diogo Costa.

Spain’s Yamal wasn’t even born when Ronaldo scored in the first of his six World Cups. Twenty years on, they go head-to-head in a mouthwatering clash at the Dallas Stadium in Arlington, Texas, with a place in the quarter-finals up for grabs. 

Advertisement

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *