World Cup 2026: La Roja, a team that knows how to win its matches

06.07.26 FT World Cup

Portugal

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Spain

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Spain once again proved that they are a team capable of surgical efficiency in the key moments. La Roja eliminated Portugal (1-0) thanks to a late goal from Mikel Merino (90+1’), on Monday night, in the Round of 16 of the World Cup.

The Spain–Portugal match was tight until the very end. The Spaniards showed patience and unity, finally being rewarded with Mikel Merino’s goal deep into stoppage time. Now qualified, La Roja sets up a quarter-final showdown against Belgium.

This is not the first time Spain has edged out an opponent by the narrowest of margins in recent World Cup history. In fact, this is the seventh time the Spaniards have won by a 1-0 scoreline since the 2010 edition, which they famously won in South Africa.

Over this period, Spain (7 times) has done better than Argentina, Belgium, Germany, and Uruguay, each of whom have managed four 1-0 victories.

Luis de la Fuente’s squad knows how to win knockout matches, thanks to their collective character and a tightly-knit group determined to chase a second star for La Roja.

Imed Ben Amara |

Editorar, fr

Imed Ben Amara - bilingual sports writer and web editor with experience in football content creation. Since 2021, he has contributed to Foot Africa, providing news coverage and analysis.

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