Portugal vs Spain
Cristiano Ronaldo’s sister recently claimed that the World Cup 2026 will be his brother’s last finals campaign, so every match from here on out will carry extra significance for Portugal.
After notching a 2-1 win over Croatia in the Round of 32, they’ll face Spain next when they convene at AT&T Stadium in Dallas, Texas, on Monday evening. Facing a team like Spain this early is far from ideal for Portugal. However, this is the Selecao’s fate after finishing second behind Colombia in Group K.
Spain have a glorious opportunity to retire one of the greatest players of all time for good en route to progressing to the quarter-finals. Luis de la Fuente’s side is fresh from a 3-0 rout of Austria in the Round of 32, so they enter this match in a buoyant mood.
Read more below, as SBOTOP previews this exciting clash of two European titans.
Talking Points
Portugal’s Ronaldo still has something left in the tank
Cristiano Ronaldo’s form in the World Cup has drawn criticism, as it has been mixed (compared to his archrival, Lionel Messi). After registering a brace against Uzbekistan in a 5-0 victory in their second group-stage match, the 41-year-old striker was largely anonymous in their group-stage finale: a goalless draw against Colombia.
However, Ronaldo made amends by spearheading Portugal’s comeback win against Croatia. After seeing his goal in the 61st minute disallowed by the referee, the Al-Nassr forward converted a penalty seven minutes later following Nikola Vlasic’s foul on Renato Veiga inside the box, levelling the match at 1-1.
Ronaldo eventually left the pitch in the 81st minute – something he didn’t do at all during the group stage – in favour of Ruben Neves, and Portugal would score their second goal through his replacement, Goncalo Ramos, deep into stoppage time.
He was one of Portugal’s top performers against Croatia, recording an expected goals of 0.82 (xG), and he went 21-for-22 in accurate passes. Ronaldo didn’t offer much on the defensive side of the pitch, but that’s not really his job. He could very well start again versus Spain.
Spain rediscover their swagger through Oyarzabal
Spain are coming off their most convincing performance in this year’s finals, as Mikel Oyarzabal struck again for La Roja. The Real Sociedad man now has four goals under his belt after recording yet another brace.
Oyarzabal became the first Spaniard to score twice in a World Cup knockout match since Emilio Butragueno in 1986 (four goals against Denmark), and both of his goals against Austria came from Marc Cucurella’s service. Before this, he also had two goals in their 4-0 victory against Saudi Arabia in the group stage.
The 29-year-old has been a man on a mission after missing out on the previous finals due to a torn ACL in his left knee, and he should be at the top of Portugal’s scouting report ahead of Monday.
History
Monday marks the 42nd official matchup between Portugal and Spain. In the overall head-to-heads, La Roja have a significant edge with 18 wins, while the Selecao have only seven wins and 16 draws.
The last three meetings between these two European powerhouses were in the UEFA Nations League. After a 1-1 draw in their first League A Group 2 match in the 2022-23 edition, Spain won 1-0 in the reverse fixture en route to taking the top spot and eventually winning it all after subsequently eliminating the Netherlands and Croatia.
But Portugal would get their revenge in the same tournament three years later. 13 months ago, the Selecao beat La Roja via penalties (5-3) in the final following a 2-2 draw in regulation. It was Portugal’s third major trophy under the Cristiano Ronaldo era.
Betting Tip
The World Cup 2026 odds aren’t optimistic about Portugal’s chances against Spain on Monday. La Roja are 1.92 favourites to progress to the next round, whereas the Selecao are 3.90 underdogs, and a draw after 90 minutes is at 3.36 in the 1X2 market.
Texas will be full of new World Cup 2026 highlights on Monday, given the collective star power between Portugal and Spain. So, besides our recommended bet, punters may also add Over 2.25 at 1.67, Over 2.50 at 1.87, Over 2.75 at 2.13, and Total Goals 2-3 at 1.99, breaking the trend of their low-scoring affairs in recent times.
Moreover, the Correct Score of 2-2 after 90 minutes – the result of their previous encounter – is on offer at a mouthwatering 15.00. This outcome could work in Portugal’s favour.
A SHORT EXPLANATION ON HOW OUR (⭐) BETS ARE WORTH:
⭐⭐⭐= €20 (HIGHLY CONFIDENT)
⭐⭐= €10 (CONFIDENT)
⭐= €5 (SOMEWHAT CONFIDENT)
Disclaimer: Odds are correct at time of publish.
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