Spain vs Portugal, 2026 World Cup last 16: kick-off time, where to watch and Nations League revenge

Few Round of 16 clashes can boast this much spice. Spain and Portugal lock horns again, this time in the Round of 16 at the 2026 World Cup, and there's some unfinished business brewing: last time they met, the Portuguese knocked La Roja out on penalties. Time for payback, and in style.

The Nations League revenge match. On 8 June 2025, in Munich, Spain and Portugal served up a final for the ages: 2-2 after extra time (Zubimendi and Oyarzabal for Spain; Nuno Mendes and Cristiano Ronaldo for Portugal) and 5-3 to the Portuguese on penalties, courtesy of that Morata miss we all remember. It was Portugal's second continental title and left a nasty splinter for Luis de la Fuente's men. Thirteen months on, fate brings them together again… and this time, the loser goes home.

How Spain arrive. Flying high. La Roja booked their Round of 16 spot with an authoritative 3-0 demolition of Austria: a brace from Oyarzabal (now the tournament's top scorer with four goals), Pedro Porro's first international goal, and a watertight defence. Unai Simón has kept four clean sheets and broken Casillas' World Cup record for consecutive shutouts. Spain are commanding, pressing high and solid at the back: genuine title contenders.

How Portugal arrive. Battling, but with pedigree. Roberto Martínez's side fought back against Croatia (2-1) with a Cristiano Ronaldo penalty and a Gonçalo Ramos goal in the 90+3. At 40, the "Phenomenon" is almost certainly facing his final World Cup and wants to bow out in style. With Vitinha and Bruno Fernandes controlling midfield and the pace of Rafael Leão and Pedro Neto out wide, Portugal are a seriously dangerous proposition.

The matchups worth their weight in gold. The juiciest: Lamine Yamal versus Cristiano Ronaldo, the future against the legend, 18 against 40. But there's more: the midfield battle between Pedri and Vitinha, Nuno Mendes down the flank (who already gave Porro a nightmare in Munich) and a red-hot Oyarzabal up against the seasoned pairing of Rúben Dias and Pepe at the back. This one's shaping up to be a classic.

Where to watch? Spain-Portugal kicks off Monday 6 July at 21:00 (Spanish peninsular time) at the AT&T Stadium in Dallas. All the details on La Roja's path through the tournament—kick-off times, venues and how to follow every match—are in the Spain 2026 World Cup guide.

Prediction? Spain come in as favourites on the strength of their play, form and solidity, but Portugal proved in Munich that they know how to hurt them and that with Cristiano, they're never out of it. This will be a match decided by fine margins, one of those settled by a single moment… or a penalty shootout that'll give more than a few of us nightmares. Monday at nine, don't budge from the sofa.

📊 Match sheet: lineups, stats and score · 📰 Match report: Spain 3-0 Austria

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