Agencies | Arlington:
Mikel Merino scored a dramatic stoppage-time winner as Spain edged Portugal 1-0 on Monday to book a place in the FIFA World Cup quarterfinals and bring Cristiano Ronaldo’s World Cup career to an end.
Introduced in the 85th minute, Merino found the net in the first minute of second-half stoppage time. After a quick restart following a foul, Ferran Torres threaded a precise pass through the middle, allowing the Arsenal midfielder to calmly beat goalkeeper Diogo Costa.
Spain head coach Luis de la Fuente praised the impact of his substitutes, particularly Merino.
“He is one of the best in his position in the world and has given us a fantastic result with a fantastic goal,” de la Fuente said. “The contribution of the substitutes has been enormous, not only today but throughout the tournament.”
The victory extended Spain’s unbeaten run to 35 matches and secured La Roja’s first World Cup quarterfinal appearance since lifting the trophy in 2010. Spain will face Belgium, who defeated the United States 4-1, in the quarterfinals on Friday in Inglewood, California.
For Portugal, the defeat marked the end of Cristiano Ronaldo’s illustrious World Cup career. The 41-year-old, playing in his sixth and final tournament, bows out as the all-time leader in men’s international football with 146 goals in 233 appearances.
Ronaldo, who scored three goals during the tournament, was largely contained by Spain goalkeeper Unai Simón, whose clean sheet extended his World Cup shutout streak to a record 609 minutes. Spain also became the first team to register six consecutive clean sheets in World Cup history.
Merino’s winner was his first World Cup goal and the 11th of his international career. The midfielder, who underwent right foot surgery earlier this year, admitted the goal made a difficult season worthwhile.
“What better way to celebrate,” Merino said. “You remember all the good and the bad, and there have been difficult moments for me this year.”
Reflecting on his international career, Ronaldo said he leaves the World Cup with no regrets.
“I’ll wake up tomorrow with a clear conscience. I gave my best,” he said. “Before Cristiano, Portugal hadn’t won any title. I won three trophies with the national team, and I’m proud of what we achieved.”
Portugal pressed for an equaliser deep into stoppage time, with Bernardo Silva coming closest when his header drifted just over the crossbar, but Spain held firm to seal a memorable victory.
