Vlad Bunoan

Spain's forward Mikel Oyarzabal celebrates scoring his team's third goal during the 2026 World Cup round of 32 football match between Spain and Austria at the Los Angeles Stadium in Inglewood. Frederic J. Brown, AFP

Spain's forward #21 Mikel Oyarzabal celebrates scoring his team's third goal during the 2026 World Cup round of 32 football match between Spain and Austria at the Los Angeles Stadium in Inglewood on July 2, 2026.  (Photo by Frederic J. Brown / AFP)

Article (news)

Agence France-Presse

<div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:960px;display:block" width="960"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1783038785755AFP__20260702__B94C8U2__v1__MidRes__FblWc2026Match84EspAut.jpg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" width="960"/><span class="fr-inner"><font dir="auto" style="vertical-align:inherit"><font dir="auto" style="vertical-align:inherit">Spain&#x27;s forward Mikel Oyarzabal celebrates scoring his team&#x27;s third goal during the 2026 World Cup round of 32 football match between Spain and Austria at the Los Angeles Stadium in Inglewood. </font></font><em><font dir="auto" style="vertical-align:inherit"><font dir="auto" style="vertical-align:inherit">Frederic J. Brown, AFP</font></font></em></span></span></span></div><div><font dir="auto" style="vertical-align:inherit"><font dir="auto" style="vertical-align:inherit">(UPDATE 2) Portugal battled into the last 16 of the World Cup with a drama-filled 2-1 victory over Croatia on Thursday to set up a titanic showdown with European champions Spain.</font></font></div><div><font dir="auto" style="vertical-align:inherit"><font dir="auto" style="vertical-align:inherit"><font dir="auto" style="vertical-align:inherit"><font dir="auto" style="vertical-align:inherit">In another nerve-shredding World Cup classic, Goncalo Ramos headed Portugal into the lead in the fourth minute of stoppage time before Croatia saw a last-gasp equalizer agonizingly ruled out for offside in Toronto.</font></font></font></font></div><div><font dir="auto" style="vertical-align:inherit"><font dir="auto" style="vertical-align:inherit"><font dir="auto" style="vertical-align:inherit"><font dir="auto" style="vertical-align:inherit">Portugal&#x27;s 41-year-old superstar captain Cristiano Ronaldo had helped haul his team back into the contest, burying a 68th-minute penalty to cancel out Croatia&#x27;s 53rd-minute opener from Ivan Perisic.</font></font></font></font></div><div><font dir="auto" style="vertical-align:inherit"><font dir="auto" style="vertical-align:inherit"><font dir="auto" style="vertical-align:inherit"><font dir="auto" style="vertical-align:inherit">Ronaldo later joined frenzied celebrations after Ramos glanced home a sensational header deep into injury time to give Portugal the lead.</font></font></font></font></div><div><font dir="auto" style="vertical-align:inherit"><font dir="auto" style="vertical-align:inherit"><font dir="auto" style="vertical-align:inherit"><font dir="auto" style="vertical-align:inherit">But Ronaldo and his Portugal team-mates were left stunned when Josko Gvardiol prodded home an apparent equalizer in stoppage time.</font></font></font></font></div><div><font dir="auto" style="vertical-align:inherit"><font dir="auto" style="vertical-align:inherit"><font dir="auto" style="vertical-align:inherit"><font dir="auto" style="vertical-align:inherit">Yet there was one final twist when the goal was chalked off for offside after a lengthy VAR review to the disbelief of Croatia&#x27;s players and their large contingent of fans at Toronto&#x27;s BMO Field.</font></font></font></font></div><div><font dir="auto" style="vertical-align:inherit"><font dir="auto" style="vertical-align:inherit"><font dir="auto" style="vertical-align:inherit"><font dir="auto" style="vertical-align:inherit">After the final whistle, an emotional Ronaldo held up and pulled on a Portugal shirt bearing the number 21, a tribute to late team-mate Diogo Jota, the Liverpool star who tragically died in a car crash almost a year to the day from Thursday&#x27;s win, on July 3 last year.</font></font></font></font></div><div><font dir="auto" style="vertical-align:inherit"><font dir="auto" style="vertical-align:inherit"><font dir="auto" style="vertical-align:inherit"><font dir="auto" style="vertical-align:inherit">&quot;We knew it before the game. It was a so special moment. We speak today, our group, about that, the coincidence of life, it&#x27;s unbelievable,&quot; Ronaldo said afterwards of the tribute to Jota.</font></font></font></font></div><div><font dir="auto" style="vertical-align:inherit"><font dir="auto" style="vertical-align:inherit"><font dir="auto" style="vertical-align:inherit"><font dir="auto" style="vertical-align:inherit">&quot;I was amazed because the situation of today. It means a lot to us, not only because we won the game, but the also the way we won the game. It was a difficult game, we knew it.&quot;</font></font></font></font></div><div><font dir="auto" style="vertical-align:inherit"><font dir="auto" style="vertical-align:inherit"><font dir="auto" style="vertical-align:inherit"><font dir="auto" style="vertical-align:inherit">The result ensures that Ronaldo&#x27;s incredible World Cup career will be extended for at least one more match when the Portuguese face Iberian rivals Spain in the last 16 in Dallas on Monday.</font></font></font></font></div><div><font dir="auto" style="vertical-align:inherit"><font dir="auto" style="vertical-align:inherit"><font dir="auto" style="vertical-align:inherit"><font dir="auto" style="vertical-align:inherit">Ronaldo&#x27;s second-half penalty made him the oldest man to score in a World Cup knockout match. The goal was also first time Ronaldo had scored in a World Cup game in his glittering career.</font></font></font></font></div><div><br/></div><div><strong><font dir="auto" style="vertical-align:inherit"><font dir="auto" style="vertical-align:inherit"><font dir="auto" style="vertical-align:inherit"><font dir="auto" style="vertical-align:inherit">Spain romp past Austria</font></font></font></font></strong></div><div><font dir="auto" style="vertical-align:inherit"><font dir="auto" style="vertical-align:inherit"><font dir="auto" style="vertical-align:inherit"><font dir="auto" style="vertical-align:inherit">Spain had advanced to that meeting with a scintillating 3-0 win over Austria in Los Angeles earlier Friday that confirmed their status as one of the favorites for the title.</font></font></font></font></div><div><font dir="auto" style="vertical-align:inherit"><font dir="auto" style="vertical-align:inherit"><font dir="auto" style="vertical-align:inherit"><font dir="auto" style="vertical-align:inherit">Two goals from Mikel Oyarzabal and a Pedro Porro header sealed victory for the Spaniards, who produced their most complete performance of the tournament to advance to the next round.</font></font></font></font></div><div><font dir="auto" style="vertical-align:inherit"><font dir="auto" style="vertical-align:inherit"><font dir="auto" style="vertical-align:inherit"><font dir="auto" style="vertical-align:inherit">Spain opened their World Cup campaign with a faltering 0-0 draw against Cape Verde, but have subsequently built momentum with each match.</font></font></font></font></div><div><font dir="auto" style="vertical-align:inherit"><font dir="auto" style="vertical-align:inherit"><font dir="auto" style="vertical-align:inherit"><font dir="auto" style="vertical-align:inherit">With Spanish movie stars Penelope Cruz and Javier Bardem in the 70,492 crowd at Los Angeles&#x27; SoFi Stadium, Spain were always in control against a limited Austrian side who failed to register a shot on goal.</font></font></font></font></div><div><font dir="auto" style="vertical-align:inherit"><font dir="auto" style="vertical-align:inherit"><font dir="auto" style="vertical-align:inherit"><font dir="auto" style="vertical-align:inherit">Oyarzabal fired Spain into the lead in the 36th minute, sweeping in a low finish to crown a slick passing move, and more deft inter-play set up Porro to head home the second in the 66th minute.</font></font></font></font></div><div><font dir="auto" style="vertical-align:inherit"><font dir="auto" style="vertical-align:inherit"><font dir="auto" style="vertical-align:inherit"><font dir="auto" style="vertical-align:inherit">Real Sociedad striker Oyarzabal grabbed his second as he coolly tucked away a low finish from Marc Cucurella&#x27;s pinpoint cross.</font></font></font></font></div><div><font dir="auto" style="vertical-align:inherit"><font dir="auto" style="vertical-align:inherit"><font dir="auto" style="vertical-align:inherit"><font dir="auto" style="vertical-align:inherit">&quot;We played a magnificent match. I am happy because, in every aspect, we came close to perfection,&quot; said Spain coach Luis de la Fuente.</font></font></font></font></div><div><font dir="auto" style="vertical-align:inherit"><font dir="auto" style="vertical-align:inherit"><font dir="auto" style="vertical-align:inherit"><font dir="auto" style="vertical-align:inherit">&quot;Every match from now on will be more complicated. Every match will be a bit more demanding. We are moving into a more critical phase&quot; of the World Cup, he added.</font></font></font></font></div><div><font dir="auto" style="vertical-align:inherit"><font dir="auto" style="vertical-align:inherit"><font dir="auto" style="vertical-align:inherit"><font dir="auto" style="vertical-align:inherit">De la Fuente said his Spain side can still get better &quot;in every area.&quot;</font></font></font></font></div><div><font dir="auto" style="vertical-align:inherit"><font dir="auto" style="vertical-align:inherit"><font dir="auto" style="vertical-align:inherit"><font dir="auto" style="vertical-align:inherit">&quot;That is our spirit — the belief that we haven&#x27;t hit our ceiling yet. We need to improve naturally. We are ambitious,&quot; he said.</font></font></font></font></div><p>In the late match on Thursday, Switzerland eased into the last 16 with a 2-0 victory over Algeria, as Africa&#x27;s rocky start to the knockout rounds continued.</p><p>Goals from Breel Embolo and Dan Ndoye saw Switzerland into the next round, where they will face the winners of Friday&#x27;s game between Colombia and Ghana.</p><p>Algeria, who had never won a World Cup knockout game in four previous trips to the tournament, were the latest African team to exit in the last 32, after the demise of Ivory Coast, Democratic Republic of Congo, Senegal and South Africa. Only Morocco have gone through to the last 16.</p>

<p>European champions Spain cruised into the last 16 of the World Cup on Thursday with a dominant 3-0 win over Austria to set up a potential showdown with Cristiano Ronaldo's Portugal.</p>

European champions Spain cruised into the last 16 of the World Cup on Thursday with a dominant 3-0 win over Austria to set up a potential showdown with Cristiano Ronaldo's Portugal.

Ronaldo, Portugal advance after drama to set up Spain showdown

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Ronaldo, Portugal advance after drama to set up Spain showdown

Agence France-Presse

Published July 03, 2026 08:58 AM PHT

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Updated July 03, 2026 04:21 PM PHT

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World Cup

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