Spain Face Portugal in World Cup Last 16 as 49.2% Opta Edge Meets Ronaldo's Possible Finale
Updated
Updated · Al Jazeera English · Jul 6
Spain Face Portugal in World Cup Last 16 as 49.2% Opta Edge Meets Ronaldo's Possible Finale
3 articles · Updated · Al Jazeera English · Jul 6
Summary
Monday’s round-of-16 tie in Arlington pits Spain against Portugal, with the winner advancing to face either the United States or Belgium in Friday’s quarterfinal in Los Angeles.
49.2% is Spain’s regulation-time win probability in Opta’s model, versus 25.6% for Portugal, after Spain topped Group H and crushed Austria 3-0 while Portugal labored through Group J and edged Croatia 2-1.
41-year-old Cristiano Ronaldo adds the main subplot for Portugal, with his sister saying he will retire from international duty after the tournament, making a defeat potentially his final World Cup appearance.
Five previous major-tournament meetings have produced one win each and three draws, including Ronaldo’s hat-trick in a 3-3 World Cup draw in 2018; Portugal also beat Spain on penalties in the 2025 Nations League final.