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📊 Match Insights

Iberian rivals clash in the highlight match of the World Cup 2026 Round of 16, as Portugal takes on Spain at the AT&T Stadium this Monday. Roberto Martinez's side narrowly overcame Croatia with a 2-1 victory in their first knockout match, while Luis de la Fuente's squad had a more comfortable 3-0 win against Austria in the previous round. Cristiano Ronaldo was left as a spectator on the bench when Josko Gvardiol appeared to have equalized for Croatia, potentially sending the match into extra time. This followed earlier goals from Ivan Perisic, Goncalo Ramos, and Ronaldo himself. The ball deflected off Renato Veiga and Mario Pasalic before reaching Gvardiol, but replays could not confirm if Igor Matanovic had touched it, leading officials to rely on ball sensors to check for offside against Pasalic. Ultimately, the technology confirmed that Gvardiol's equalizer was disallowed, much to the delight of the Selecao bench, allowing Ronaldo's World Cup aspirations to progress at the expense of fellow legend Luka Modric. Portugal made history by advancing to the last 16, marking their first World Cup win after coming from behind since 1966 against North Korea. However, they have struggled at this stage in recent tournaments. The Selecao's World Cup campaigns in 2010 and 2018 ended in the Round of 16, as did their Euro 2020 run, followed by consecutive quarter-final exits in the 2022 and 2024 tournaments.