The United States and Belgium will meet in the Round of 16 on Monday night, but the game before it is definitely must-see TV.
Spain and Portugal have met 41 times in men’s soccer. Only twice have they met in a World Cup. Only once, the 2010 Round of 16, has it been a knockout-round game. Until today. The winner plays either the USMNT or Belgium on Friday in the final eight. The loser sees their World Cup come to an end.
Old star vs. new: Cristiano Ronaldo vs. Lamine Yamal
The prime matchup will, of course, be Cristiano Ronaldo vs. Lamine Yamal. Their first meeting was last June when Portugal defeated Spain in the UEFA Nations League final. Monday is likely the final time Ronaldo and Yamal will share the pitch in a competitive fixture. Yamal, by his standards, has had a quiet World Cup thanks in part to an injury he brought into the tournament (just one goal…not that Spain have needed many contributions from him as it is), but Monday could see the 18-year-old deliver a signature moment in this tournament.
It’s likely a given that when Yamal retires from international football, he’ll do so having won at least one World Cup. But Spain has run into repeated failure since winning it all in 2010, crashing out in the group stage in 2014 and going out in the Round of 16 in 2018 and 2022. At least it’s won one: Portugal’s gotten no closer than a semifinal in 2006, Ronaldo’s World Cup debut.
How Portugal got to the Round of 16
Portugal have had it anything but easy this tournament. It came in second in Group K with a win (5-0 over Uzbekistan) and two draws (1-1 against DR Congo and 0-0 against Colombia), then, let’s say, got a very, very fortunate call in its favor in a dramatic 2-1 win over Croatia that saw Croatia’s late equalizer erased after a VAR check.
How Spain got to the Round of 16
After drawing Cabo Verde in Atlanta, Spain have won its subsequent matches by a margin of 8-0. That includes Thursday’s Round of 32 match in Inglewood that saw Mikel Oyarzabal bag a brace in a 3-0 win over Austria, putting the 29-year-old Real Sociedad man on a team-high four goals and an assist. The caveat is that the teams Spain have beaten (Uruguay, Saudi Arabia, Austria) are weaker than what Portugal can present, but La Roja still figures to be the favorite.
How to watch, live stream Portugal vs. Spain
Venue: AT&T Stadium, Arlington
Kickoff time: 3 p.m. ET
TV: FOX (English); Telemundo (Spanish)
Streaming: FOX One (English); Peacock (Spanish)
FOX/FOX One (English); Telemundo/Peacock (Spanish)
Metro Atlanta World Cup festivities are carrying on all throughout the tournament. Here’s a list of places you can watch all the World Cup action, along with a map.
If you’re headed to Atlanta to see games in person, check out our World Cup guide, which gives you information on where to stay, what to do, see, and eat, along with how to get around using MARTA.