A blockbuster World Cup knockout game sees Portugal take on Spain tonight, as Cristiano Ronaldo’s dream of lifting this elusive trophy reaches a critical juncture.
Ronaldo’s game time at this tournament has been a huge talking point, with the 41-year-old appearing to hamper Portugal at times, but he has scored three goals – including a crucial penalty in a dramatic last-32 win over Croatia.
That 2-1 victory has brought Roberto Martinez’s side into the last 16, where Spain await, having seen off Austria 3-0 with a clinical performance in the last round.
That result only enhanced feelings that Spain, the European champions, are one of the absolute favourites to go all the way in North America, but Portugal will surely put up a hell of a fight in Dallas, Texas.
Follow all the action from the World Cup last-16 tie, below:
Read MoreRonaldo snaps over questions surrounding Portugal retirement before World Cup clash with Spain
Spain v Portugal LIVE
- Spain and Portugal meet in mouthwatering World Cup last-16 tie | Live on BBC One
- Cristiano Ronaldo scored crucial penalty in dramatic 2-1 win over Croatia in last 32
- Spain eased past Austria 3-0 to enhance status as one of the favourites to lift trophy
- Co-hosts USA or Belgium await the winners in the quarter-finals
- Ronaldo snaps over questions surrounding Portugal retirement
- Portugal XI: Costa; Cancelo, Dias, Veiga, Mendes; Neves, Vitinha; Neto, Fernandes, Felix; Ronaldo
- Spain XI: Simon; Porro, Cubarsi, Laporte, Cucurella; Pedri, Rodri; Yamal, Olmo, Baena; Oyarzabal
Half-time! Portugal 0-0 Spain
20:51 , Alan SmithIt’s not been amazing. File it under interesting and intriguing.
Portugal 0-0 Spain
20:48 , Alan Smith48’ - Olmo is fouled about 35 yards out. Baena cross deep, Rodri nods it back towards goal but the whistle goes for offside.
Portugal 0-0 Spain
20:47 , Alan Smith47’ - Porro seeks Yamal out but the youngster is offside.
Portugal 0-0 Spain
20:45 , Alan Smith45’ - Rodri bloops over when he should probably pass.
There will be six added minutes.
Portugal 0-0 Spain
20:44 , Alan Smith45’ - Mendes hangs up a deep cross that Simon plucks out of the sky.
Portugal 0-0 Spain
20:43 , Alan Smith43’ - Felix tracks back gamely to dispossess Yamal, who wants what would be an undeserved free kick. Taylor says no chance.
Portugal 0-0 Spain
20:41 , Alan Smith40’ - Portugal are having plenty of joy from Mendes finding Cancelo with diagonals. This latest effort leads to a corner from Baena’s block.
Neto is unhappy that he is being forced to continue playing with a ripped right boot.
When the corner is finally taken Portugal work it short to Mendes and he then takes a ferocious pop which is deflected off Porro’s head and on to the crossbar.
Portugal 0-0 Spain
20:38 , Alan Smith37’ - Ronaldo goes close! Neto sends in a cross from the right, deep towards Felix. His header from a tight angle is saved by Simon and Ronaldo then tries an acrobatic finish, which Simon leaps to keep out.
Portugal 0-0 Spain
20:34 , Alan Smith34’ - From what initially appeared a tepid move, Yamal suddenly thrills down the right after Pedri fed him, finding Olmo inside. Olmo then flashes a cross along the face of goal but no Spain player is on hand to tap it in.
They are back knocking on the door.
Portugal 0-0 Spain
20:33 , Alan Smith33’ - Portugal are happy to sit off for now, allowing Spain the ball across their defence and midfield.
Portugal 0-0 Spain
20:31 , Alan Smith31’ - Pedri’s long ball to try and find Cubarsi is unconventionally saved by Costa and Olmo heads the rebound wide. No matter, Olmo was offside when Pedri struck his pass.
Portugal 0-0 Spain
20:30 , Alan Smith30’ - Porro zips down the right but Mendes recovers well, sliding in to intercept but give away a corner.
Portugal 0-0 Spain
20:26 , Alan Smith27’ - We’re underway again.
20:25 , Alan SmithOn BBC Danny Murphy is leaning into the bit and talking about his cat again.
Portugal 0-0 Spain
20:23 , Alan Smith23’ - The free kick is cleared, as far as Porro. His drive is deflected off the head of Porro and goes out for a goal kick.
And that’s the commercial break.
Portugal 0-0 Spain
20:22 , Alan Smith22’ - From fouler to fouled, Baena is dragged down by Cancelo when trying to get behind and latch on to a Rodri through ball. This duel is proving fascinating.
Portugal 0-0 Spain
20:21 , Alan Smith21’ - Better from Portugal. Fernandes and Cancelo exchange passes and the latter fires over - though the offside flag goes up after for Fernandes.
Portugal 0-0 Spain
20:19 , Alan Smith19’ - Baena trips Neto after another Spain forway breaks down. La Roja are beginning to get on top here.
Portugal 0-0 Spain
20:17 , Alan Smith16’ - Double save Costa! After a Portugal attack breaks down, Spain counter with Rodri playing Yamal into space. He darts in and curls goalwards. Costa parries it away strongly and Baena’s rebound then brings another solid stop.
The corner that follows is half-cleared but Spain come again, and again.
Portugal 0-0 Spain
20:14 , Alan Smith14’ - Baena balloons over from an improbable position.
Portugal 0-0 Spain
20:12 , Alan Smith12’ - Now Ronaldo brings a save from Simon. This one comes after Fernandes forces an error from Pedri, allowing Portugal’s playmaker to find the main goalscorer. The attempt is from a tight angle though and the ensuing corner is cleared.
Portugal 0-0 Spain
20:11 , Alan Smith11’ - Replays of the penalty claim show Rodri certainly pulling on Ronaldo as they grappled. But the officials have no interest.
Portugal 0-0 Spain
20:10 , Alan Smith10’ - Portugal win their first corner. Ronaldo goes down off the ball while Fernandes delivers. He want a penalty. Play continues.
Portugal 0-0 Spain
20:09 , Alan Smith8’ - Spain slice through the heart of Portugal’s team with a quick exchange of passes. Rodri finds Baena and he finds Olmo. The No.10 then sneds a low diagonal through to Oyarzbal.
The striker has kept onside and looks in a great place to strike but his effort scuttles across goal and wide. That’s a good chance.
Portugal 0-0 Spain
20:07 , Alan Smith7’ - Mendes switches play and that permits Cancelo to advance into space. About 25 yards he tries his luck but the attempt is off target.
Portugal 0-0 Spain
20:05 , Alan Smith5’ - Mendes is unable to control a long pass down Portugal’s left. They are yet to settle into this one.
Portugal 0-0 Spain
20:03 , Alan Smith3’ - Oyarzabal sees space open in front of him and he fires straight at Costa. Baena was charging forward down his left and may have been a petter option.
Portugal 0-0 Spain
20:02 , Alan Smith2’ - Yamal trips Neves. Martinez is very angry about that. But it’s a free kick and nothing more.
Kick-off! Portugal 0-0 Spain
20:00 , Alan Smith1’ - Spain get us going
Anthems time
19:55 , Alan SmithPortugal’s is up first. They are in their first-choice kit.
Spain’s follows next. They are are in their second choice strip of mostly white with a red trim.
Here come the teams
19:53 , Alan SmithThey are in the tunnel in Dallas.
There are storms forecast in the area but this is an indoor stadium.
Villa's ominous warning
19:44 , Alan SmithThere were som fascinating comments from David Villa, the former Spain forward, on BBC’s Football Daily podcast. He believes there is much more to come from a squad that looked rather impressive against Austria.
“I know that Spain are not happy for the way they are playing,” he said. “They are winning the games but they are players that want more and they know they can do more.
“Winning the World Cup is always difficult because there are great teams here but seeing the way that Spain play, they can win of course. What team can stop them? France, could be Portugal.
“If you look at Spain, they are one of the best teams. I believe and I think Spain can do it [win the World Cup] again.”
Ronaldo eyes fine margins
19:37 , Alan SmithFor all his responding to the many, many haters during his pre-match press conference, Ronaldo also predicted that this match will come down to fine margins.
“In the end, whoever manages to take advantage of the small details in the match will be the winner,” he said. “And I hope that team will be Portugal. That's my feeling, and I believe we will win.”
Tonight's referee
19:30 , Alan SmithAnthony Taylor is in charge of this one.
He has already blown the whistle for Senegal v Iraq and Uzbekistan v Colombia .
'The details will make a difference'
19:21 , Mike JonesHere are the pre-match thoughts from Spain coach Luis de la Fuente:
“The details will make all the difference. I watched the Nations League game from last year again because the better we know our opponents – their strengths and their weaknesses – the better prepared we will be.
“I think the game will be very different, although our football idea is similar; we both like to have the ball. But it’s the World Cup which is a unique opportunity.”
Spain v Portugal
19:15 , Jack Rathborn
Are you watching, France? Spain breeze past Austria – and this is why they’re peaking at just the right time
19:00 , Kieran JacksonWhile all the big-hitters around them experience a glut of goals and drama, depending on which way you glance, Spain continue their methodical and altogether stress-free path to the latter stages of the World Cup. Sure, they are lacking France’s all-out firepower.
Sure, they are lacking a leading talisman in Argentina’s Lionel Messi or England’s Harry Kane. But as a cohesive unit, ticking over possession and grounding their opposition into submission, there is still no collective, well-rounded team better at this World Cup 2026 than La Roja.
Are you watching, France? This is why Spain are peaking at just the right time
Spain XI confirmed
18:55 , Alan SmithSimon; Porro, Cubarsi, Laporte, Cucurella; Pedri, Rodri; Yamal, Olmo, Baena; Oyarzabal
Portugal XI confirmed
18:54 , Alan SmithCosta; Cancelo, Dias, Veiga, Mendes; Neves, Vitinha; Neto, Fernandes, Felix; Ronaldo
Unbeaten De La Fuente
18:54 , Mike JonesLuis de la Fuente is unbeaten across his first 11 matches at either the World Cup or Euros wint 10 wins and one draw.
His Spain side have conceded just four goals in that run.
Ronaldo on Portugal preparation
18:47 , Mike Jones“We’ve trained well and we’ve prepared well for the game. We’re going to face a tough team, but we’re ready.
“It’s been a good experience and we’re improving. We know it’s impossible to play well every game and it’s a tough competition.
“You only need look at who have been knocked out to see that.”
Ronaldo snaps over questions surrounding Portugal retirement
18:39 , Jack Rathborn“I’m always body and soul to help the national team. Playing or not playing, I will always have an important role.
“I’ll finish when I want to, not when you want me to. It’s a waste of time to keep asking that question.
“But I don’t want to turn my attention to that. The most important thing is (the game against Spain on Monday).”
Spain's unbeaten run
18:36 , Mike JonesLa Roja are unbeaten in their last 34 matches (25 wins, nine draws), one shy of equalling their longest-ever unbeaten run of 35 set between February 2007 and June 2009.
Only Italy, with 37 between 2018 and 2021, have enjoyed a longer unbeaten run among European nations.
Unai Simon says Spain will focus on own game
18:30 , Mike JonesThe Spanish goalkeeper said: “We have to focus on our game, without forgetting that Portugal beat us in the Nations League.
“We know we have to play a great game, without lapses in concentration. Ronaldo is not the same player he was a few years ago, but he is still lethal in the box.
“We have to keep him as far away from the area as possible.”
Roberto Martinez previews Spain test
18:24 , Mike JonesThe Portugal boss spoke about how his team will take on Spain this evening: “We have a lot of respect for our opponents. Spain are a very good team with a clear idea. The two teams like to have the ball.
“Tomorrow, we have to defend well when we don’t have the play and control the transitions. I expect the same kind of game as the Nations League final, that finished 2-2.”
Will Spain's defence hold up?
18:18 , Mike JonesHaving kept Morocco scoreless before their penalty-shootout exit in the round of 16 in 2022, Spain could become the first side in World Cup history to keep six successive clean sheets if they shut out Portugal.
They are yet to concede in the 2026 edition of the tournament having kept clean sheets against Cape Verde, Saudi Arabia, Uruguay and Austria.
Portugal aim for quarter-finals
18:12 , Mike JonesPortugal are looking to reach the World Cup quarter-finals for the fourth time, and for the first time in consecutive tournaments.
They have a difficult task taking on the European champions but can Ronaldo and co. overcome the odds?
Cristiano Ronaldo, Lionel Messi and Jude Bellingham: How Fifa’s bewildering World Cup award has distorted reality
18:06 , Alan SmithIt was a picture that left a thousand words unsaid. Had Casemiro, smiling widely with both hands on the trophy, been covered in Jude Bellingham’s honesty cloak, the post-match interview may have seen the Brazil midfielder explain why he did not deserve the gong.
He was neither the first nor last peculiar selection for the ‘Superior Player of the Match’ at this World Cup 2026 but the decision to place him on a pedestal after Monday’s anxious, unconvincing win against Japan was certainly the oddest.
How Fifa’s bewildering World Cup award has distorted football reality
How will Ronaldo go?
18:00 , Mike JonesCristiano Ronaldo netted his first-ever goal in the knockout stages of the tournament against Croatia.
His penalty helped Portugal win the game but he otherwise put in a lacklustre performance.
How will he fare tonight?
Portugal scrape past Croatia
17:54 , Mike JonesPortugal have reached the last-16 at the World Cup by the thinest of margins and surrounded in controversy.
They beat Croatia 2-1 in the round of 32 but only after a late VAR intervention ruled out Josko Gvardiol’s equaliser.
Can Roberto Martinez’s men find their rhythm against Spain tonight?
Spain's solidity
17:48 , Mike JonesSpain are yet to concede a goal in this year’s tournament, keeping clean sheets in their opening four matches of a World Cup campaign for the very first time.
Portugal's record versus Spain
17:42 , Mike JonesPortugal have won just one of their 12 competitive meetings with Spain across all competitions (six draws, five defeats).
That win was a 1-0 victory in the group stages of the 2004 European Championship.
Ronaldo’s tears, Martinez’s choice and Modric’s ending: Inside Portugal v Croatia, a World Cup epic
17:36 , Richard JollyBelatedly, Roberto Martinez was stirred out of his slumber. A manager who can look smilingly passive was facing the end: of Portugal’s World Cup, perhaps of his reign, too. Portugal’s perplexing first half had brought 69 per cent of possession and a lone shot on target.
Then they trailed and Martinez showed a decisiveness he is often accused of lacking. A quadruple change altered the momentum, the World Cup. One of the arrivals, Goncalo Ramos, was to prove the man who did something many an opponent has failed to accomplish in the last two World Cups and finish off Croatia.
Ronaldo’s tears, Martinez’s choice and Modric’s ending: Inside a World Cup epic
Spain's early team news
17:30 , Mike JonesSpain remain without Nico Williams and Yeremy Pino after their respective injuries in the group-stage finale with Uruguay.
Meanwhile, Spain have been managing the workloads of Lamine Yamal, Pedro Porro, Dani Olmo and Aymeric Laporte by limiting their training but this should not impact their availabilities.
Predicted Spain XI: Simon; Porro, Cubarsi, Laporte, Cucurella; Rodri, Pedri; Yamal, Olmo, Baena; Oyarzabal.
Portugal's early team news
17:24 , Mike JonesRoberto Martinez has no fresh injury concerns to contend with in his Portugal squad, with his only real conundrum coming over who should start on the right-hand side - will Pedro Neto keep his place ahead of Bernardo Silva or Fransisco Conceicao?
Predicted Portugal XI: Costa; Cancelo, Dias, Veiga, Mendes; Vitinha, Neves; Neto, Fernandes, Leao; Ronaldo.
Who will the winner face?
17:18 , Mike JonesThe winner will be pitted in a quarter-final tie with either co-hosts United States or Belgium, with that match set for 10 July in Los Angeles.
How can I watch it?
17:12 , Mike JonesViewers in the UK can watch the match on BBC One and stream it on BBC iPlayer, with coverage starting at 7:30pm BST.
When is Portugal vs Spain?
17:06 , Mike JonesPortugal’s last-16 clash with Spain kicks off at 8pm BST on Monday 6 July at the Dallas Stadium.
Spain v Portugal
17:00 , Mike JonesCristiano Ronaldo’s World Cup dream will face a potentially defining test as Portugal face highly-favoured Spain in the last-16.
Portugal got past an ever-difficult Croatia side in the round of 32 by the skin of their teeth, snatching a 94th-minute winner courtesy of Goncalo Ramos before Snicko came to their rescue to deny Josko Gvardiol an equaliser even deeper into stoppage time.
Ronaldo, 41, ended his six-tournament wait for knockout-stage goal in Toronto - albeit from the spot - and will now hope to inspire a famous victory over their Iberian neighbours Spain.
The European champions got off to a somewhat slow start after being frustrated by Cape Verde in their group opener but look like they’re well and truly in their groove now, with a statement win over Austria stoking expectation that they can indeed go all the way.
Good afternoon!
14:58 , Mike JonesWelcome to The Independent’s coverage of tonight’s World Cup action as the round of 16 continues with two European heavyweights facing off against each other.
Spain take on Portugal in a mouthwatering clash as Cristiano Ronaldo seeks to continue his quest to win the World Cup.
He’s up against the youth of Lamine Yamal and co. with Spain growing in momentum after a strong last-32 victory.
We’ll have all the team news, line-ups and more so stick with us as we build up to kick off at 8pm.
