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Who: Portugal vs Spain
Contents: 2026 FIFA World Cup – Round of 16
Location: Dallas Stadium, Arlington, Texas, USA
Date and time: Monday, July 6th, 2pm (19:00 GMT)
How to follow: Get everything ready on Al Jazeera Sports from 16:00 GMT before the live text commentary stream.
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A clash of generations awaits on Monday when aging soccer star Cristiano Ronaldo takes on teenage prodigy Lamine Yamal in Portugal’s round of 16 match against Spain at the World Cup.
The Iberian derby will be a rematch of last year’s UEFA Nations League final, which Portugal won by defeating European champions Spain on penalties.
However, Portugal is not the favorite to win this tournament to be held in Dallas. After reaching the last 16 and having an eventful run in the group stages, Ronaldo and his team now face the daunting task of outdoing Spain’s new golden generation.
Since a shocking scoreless draw in the opening game, Spain has improved to the point where they have advanced to the tournament, and with their solid defense and sophisticated playmaking, they are the favorites to advance to the quarterfinals for the first time in 16 years.
Al Jazeera will tell you all about the pre-tournament battle between the two favorites: Portugal vs. Spain.
How did Portugal and Spain reach the last 16?
Portugal defeated Uzbekistan and were drawn with the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Colombia, taking second place in Group J with five points. In the round of 32, they controversially defeated Croatia, bouncing back from a goal down to win 2-1.
In Group H, Spain defeated Saudi Arabia and Uruguay to take the lead with seven points, but ended in a goalless draw with Cape Verde. In the round of 32 they defeated Austria 3-0. La Roja is undefeated in their last 34 games (25 wins, 9 losses), just shy of their longest unbeaten streak in history (35 games), which they ran from February 2007 to June 2009.
Ronaldo’s last dance?
At 41 years old, the fading forward Ronaldo remains Portugal’s most influential player, not because of his talent on the pitch, but because of his extraordinary status off it. It’s no exaggeration to say that Ronaldo’s former explosiveness is fading, although his contribution on the pitch has been limited, although he still attracts attention in a highly talented team.
There is always speculation about his future leading up to the tournament, with the 2026 World Cup likely being his last. Ronaldo, the second-oldest player in the competition, has dodged questions about his future, although his sister said he would retire from international duty after the World Cup.
That makes each match in Portugal’s finals even more intense, and a loss could spell the end of Ronaldo’s international career.
Ronaldo has won several trophies in his glittering career over the years, from club to country, but his glittering collection will be incomplete without the glittering golden World Cup trophy if Portugal succumbs to Spain.
“The World Cup begins now”: Yamal
A hamstring injury threatened to derail Yamal’s World Cup debut, but the 18-year-old winger has stepped up and is slowly gaining attention in North America.
His man-of-the-match performance in Spain’s first knockout victory over Austria highlighted the talented youngster’s influence, two years after his brilliant performance that helped Spain win Euro 2024.
Yamal said, “I want to advance through the rounds and beat the Spanish national team.” “We are not afraid of any team. We are Spain.”
“The World Cup is about to start.”
Yamal has scored one goal so far, while Mikel Oyarzabal is the team’s top scorer with four goals. Spain are unbeaten in 34 games and are aiming for their second World Cup victory in 16 years, the first being in South Africa in 2010.
Portugal vs Spain predictions
The Opta supercomputer gives Spain a 49.2 percent chance of winning within the stipulated time, while Portugal has a 25.6 percent chance of winning.
The model estimates a 25.2% chance of a game going into overtime.
Portugal vs Spain: kick-off time, TV channels
Portugal: RTP1, SPORT.TV5, LiveModeTV, RTP Play (8pm EDT) Spain: TDP, RTVE Play, LA 1, DAZN Mundial (9pm CET) UK: BBC One, BBC iPlayer (8pm BST) US: FOX, FOX One, Telemundo App, Telemundo Network, Peacock (3pm EDT)
To see the TV listings for your country, visit the FIFA TV listings schedule here.
Who will the winner face in the quarterfinals?
The winner of Portugal vs. Spain will face either the United States or Belgium in the quarterfinals on Friday, July 10th in Los Angeles, USA.
Portugal vs Spain: Head-to-head
In the past five meetings between Portugal and Spain in major competitions, there have been very few draws between Portugal and Spain, with both teams winning once and the remaining three matches ending in draws.
This includes their most recent encounter at the 2018 World Cup, a 3-3 draw, in which Ronaldo scored a hat-trick.
The two teams have met 41 times so far, with Spain winning 18 times, Portugal winning seven times and drawing 16 times.
Portugal will be confident after defeating Spain in their most recent encounter, in the UEFA Nations League final in June 2025, albeit on penalties.
Portugal vs. Spain: Team News
Spain’s Nico Williams was ruled out with a hamstring injury. No problems have been reported at the Portuguese camp.
Expected lineup of Portugal national team
(4-2-3-1): Costa (goalkeeper). Cancelo, Diaz, Veiga, Mendes. Neves, Vicinha. Neto, Fernandes, Leo. ronaldo
Expected lineup of Spain national team
(4-2-3-1): Simon (goalkeeper). Polo, Kvarsi, Laporte, Cucurella. Rodri, Pedri. Yamal, Olmo, Baena. oyarzabal
