The Iberian Peninsula derby at Dallas Stadium was decided just after the 90th minute, when Spaniard Mikel Merino broke the deadlock and sent Cristiano Ronaldo's Portugal home. Luis De la Fuente's team advanced to the quarterfinals and became the first team ever to keep six consecutive clean sheets at a World Cup. The game could have turned in Spain's favor within the first few minutes of play when Mikel Oyarzabal squandered a great opportunity, freed in the box by an assist from Dani Olmo. Portuguese goalkeeper Diogo Costa then excelled, turning aside Alex Baena's curling shot. Portugal's clearest chance came from a shot from Nuno Mendes that hit the crossbar.
The outcome of the match was decided by two Spanish substitutes: Ferran Torres, who fed Mikel Merino, who scored a powerful and precise low shot past Diego Costa. Cristiano Ronaldo bids farewell to the World Cup, but leaves with 11 goals in 27 games in the finals, having become the first player in history to score in six different editions of the competition.
