The Portuguese national team set up a meeting with its Spanish counterpart in the Round of 16 of the 2026 World Cup, after overturning a one-goal deficit to win 2-1 against Croatia in the Round of 32, while the Spanish team qualified after a 3-0 victory over Austria.
The anticipated match brings to mind the last encounter between the two teams in the knockout stages of the World Cup, when they met in the Round of 16 of the 2010 South Africa edition.
The Spanish team decided that match in its favor with a single goal, scored by David Villa in the 63rd minute, leading "La Roja" to the quarter-finals. In that match, the Spanish team imposed its control over the course of play, while the Portuguese goalkeeper Eduardo excelled, saving his goal from several clear chances and preventing a larger defeat.
At the time, Villa raised his tally to four goals, topping the tournament's scoring chart alongside Argentine Gonzalo Higuaín and Slovak Robert Vittek.
The match also featured Portuguese Carlos Queiroz, the former head coach of the Egyptian national team, at the helm of the Portuguese team's technical leadership, but he failed to overcome the obstacle of Spain, bidding farewell to the tournament from the Round of 16.
The Spanish victory also served as revenge against Portugal, which had caused "La Roja" to exit from the first round of the 2004 European Championship.
The Portuguese team's task became more difficult in the final minutes of that match after defender Ricardo Costa was sent off with a red card, leaving the team to finish the match with ten players without being able to come back in the score.
Thanks to this victory, the Spanish team advanced to the quarter-finals to face Paraguay, before continuing its successful journey in the tournament and ultimately winning the 2010 World Cup title, the first in "La Roja's" history.
Date of the Portugal vs. Spain match in the World Cup
The Portuguese national team will face its Spanish counterpart at 10:00 PM on Monday, July 6, at the Dallas Stadium in the United States of America, as part of the Round of 32 competitions of the 2026 World Cup.
