Spain snatches win over Portugal with Merino's stoppage-time goal
Spain defeated Portugal 1-0 in the World Cup round of 16, with Mikel Merino scoring the only goal in first minute of stoppage time.
In a tense World Cup round of 16 match held tonight in Dallas, Spain edged out Portugal with a narrow 1-0 victory. The decisive moment came in the 90+1st minute when Spanish midfielder Mikel Merino found the back of the net.
The game remained goalless for most of the regulation time, with both teams playing cautiously. The breakthrough finally arrived in stoppage time, as Merino capitalized on a chance to secure Spain's place in the quarterfinals.
Portugal, led by Cristiano Ronaldo, could not find an equalizer and were eliminated from the tournament. Spain now advances to the next round, keeping their World Cup hopes alive.
