Portugal and Spain are set to clash in a highly anticipated World Cup 2026 Round of 16 match, revisiting their rivalry at the Dallas stadium in Texas, USA. While Cristiano Ronaldo and his teammates recently secured a 2-1 victory over Croatia, thanks to Goncalo Ramos' decisive goal in added time, Spain enters the contest as the favored side, buoyed by their consistent performance throughout the tournament.

Cristiano Ronaldo celebrates Portugal's 1-1 equalizer against Croatia in the World Cup 2026 Round of 16 match in Toronto, Canada, on 2/7. Photo: AP

Luis de la Fuente's Spanish squad boasts a perfect record, having won all 4 of their matches without conceding a single goal. Their recent dominant 3-0 victory over Austria in the Round of 16, featuring two goals from Mikel Oyarzabal, underscores their strong form. Should Spain maintain a clean sheet against Portugal, they would make history as the first team in the World Cup to record six consecutive matches without conceding a goal, a streak extending back to the 2022 tournament.

The historical head-to-head record also leans in Spain's favor. Portugal has managed only one win in their 12 most recent official encounters against their Iberian neighbors. Despite this, Portugal did defeat Spain in a penalty shootout during the Nations League 2025 final.

For Portugal, Cristiano Ronaldo remains a key figure and a source of hope, having historically scored 4 goals against Spain. On the Spanish side, Mikel Oyarzabal is currently in exceptional form, having netted 4 goals in the World Cup 2026. This marks the best performance by a Spanish player in a World Cup since David Villa in 2010. According to the Opta supercomputer, Spain holds a 48,6% chance of winning within 90 minutes, nearly double Portugal's 25,6%.

Xuan Binh