Ronaldo’s last dance? Portugal vs Spain Round of 16 Live Stream, Match Guide
Pyrenean rivals Spain and Portugal meet at the Dallas Stadium in Arlington, Texas on Sunday in one of the most eye-catching matches of the 2026 FIFA World Cup Round of 16.
The latest chapter of the iconic Iberian derby comes with a place in the quarter-finals on the line as Cristiano Ronaldo’s Portugal take on a Spain side yet to concede a goal at the tournament.
The round of 16 match between Portugal and Spain will start at 12:30 PM IST on Tuesday, July 7. Zee5 will provide live coverage of the match in India. Unite8 Sports will offer telecast.
While the neighbors have met 41 times since 1921, this will be only their third meeting at the FIFA World Cup. Spain won their last 16 tie in 2010 en route to the trophy, while the teams played out a thrilling 3-3 draw in the 2018 group stage.
However, their last competitive meeting went Portugal’s way as Seleo beat Spain on penalties in the 2025 UEFA Nations League final to become the first nation to win the competition twice.
Clash of generations
at the age of 41 Cristiano Ronaldo has confirmed that this will be his last World Cup. The Portugal captain went on to rewrite history, becoming the first footballer to score in six different FIFA World Cups. He struck twice in a 5–0 win over Uzbekistan before scoring his first ever World Cup knockout stage goal from the penalty spot against Croatia in the round of 32.
Opposite him is Spanish teenage sensation Lamine Yamal. The 18-year-old, whose workload has been managed after minor fitness issues, is expected to start on the right wing.
The tactical battle promises to be fascinating. Portugal have scored eight goals in four games, while Luis de la Fuente’s Spain boast the best defensive performance of the tournament, keeping a single clean sheet.
Goalkeeper Unai Simon also entered the record books after extending his streak of clean sheets at the World Cup to 519 consecutive minutes in Spain’s 3-0 win over Austria.
TEAM NEWS
Spain: Luis de la Fuente is expected to name his strongest available side despite several fitness concerns. Lamine Yamal, Pedro Porro and Dani Olmo have handled the training load, but all are expected to start. Nico Williams remains a doubt with an adductor injury, while Yeremy Pino is likely to miss out with a shoulder problem.
Spain (4-1-2-3): Unai Simon; Pedro Porro, Pau Cubars, Aymeric Laporte, Marc Cucurella; Rhodri; Pedri, lex Baena; Starring: Lamine Yamal, Mikel Oyarzabal, Dani Olmo.
Portugal: Roberto Martnez has a fully fit squad at his disposal. Cristiano Ronaldo will once again lead the charge despite showing frustration after being substituted against Croatia. Gonalo Ramos, who averaged a goal every 37 minutes at the tournament, is expected to feature from the bench. The only major selection decision is on the right wing, where Pedro Neto competes with Bernardo Silva for a starting spot.
Portugal (4-2-3-1): Diogo Costa; Joao Cancelo, Rben Dias, Renato Veiga, Nuno Mendes; Joao Neves, Vitinha; Pedro Neto, Bruno Fernandes, Rafael Leao; Cristiano Ronaldo.
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Issued by:
Akshay Ramesh
Published on:
06 Jul 2026 18:51 IST