Spain’s 2026 World Cup campaign continues well as they beat Portugal 1-0 in the last 16. Spain have now won their last four games and will face Belgium in the quarter-finals.
Spain’s 2026 World Cup squad is one of the strongest in the tournament, with Mikel Merino’s stoppage-time goal against Portugal underlining their excellent depth.
Spain 2026 World Cup campaign: La Roja’s squad depth
Spain’s 2026 World Cup match against Portugal hangs in the balance, with the game likely to go into extra time. However, substitutes Ferran Torres and Mir Merino combined well, with the latter scoring the winning goal.
Previously, the Spanish team had replaced players such as Alex Baena, Dani Olmo and Pedri. Olmo played well, but unfortunately did not have at least one assist, while Ferran Torres, Fabian Ruiz and Merino replaced the above-mentioned players.
Pedri plays deeper in Spain than at Barcelona, which reduces his ability to link up at the top of the pitch.
Both Pedri and Lamine Yamal benefit from Barcelona’s frequent high-octane attacks, as it means the former’s crosses are received more frequently inside the opposition penalty area.
In Spain’s match against Portugal, crosses from the right by Yamal or Pedro Polo were often not caught by players in the penalty area.
Otherwise, Alex Baena didn’t do much on the left wing, save for a shot that was brilliantly saved by Diego Costa in the Portuguese goal.
The introduction of Ferran Torres meant Spain had more access to the Portuguese penalty area through the centre, thanks to his excellent sprinting.
Then, Spanish all-rounder Merino played a wonderful one-two with Torres, broke into the penalty area, and passed the ball to Costa.
This was Merino’s 11th goal in 48 appearances for Spain, dealing a heavy blow to Portugal and Ronaldo’s final World Cup final.
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World Cup Spain 2026: Quarterfinals vs. Belgium
In the quarter-finals, Spain will face Belgium, which defeated the United States 4-1 in the last 16. Spain’s 2026 World Cup hopes will be severely tested by Kevin De Bruyne and his teammates, who appear to be reaching their peak at the right time.
However, Spain’s undoubted squad depth will continue to give Luis de la Fuente plenty of hope. Espanyol are yet to concede a goal in this tournament and their defense looks rock solid with the presence of Aymeric Laporte and Paulo Cubas.
Belgium will have a tough task ahead as Espanyol remain the only team without conceding a goal. However, De Bruyne, Jeremy Docu and Romelu Lukaku could pose a serious threat to the Spanish backline.
As of now, the European champions are probably still favorites behind the excellent France. A semi-final between France and Spain cannot be ruled out at the moment and it would be a mouth-watering matchup if it happened.
Spain’s chances of winning a second World Cup are very good and they deserve to be crowned champions with their performances so far.
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