Cristiano Ronaldo bids farewell to the field after Portugal's defeat at FIFA.

Spain secured a crucial 1-0 victory over Portugal in a pre-quarterfinal match of the World Cup football tournament held in Dallas, America. With a spectacular goal scored by Spain's Mikel Merino in the final moments of the match, the World Cup dream of Portugal's superstar captain Cristiano Ronaldo, who had captivated the entire football world, came to an end.

With this magnificent victory, the Spanish team qualified for the quarterfinals of the tournament.

Cristiano Ronaldo, who held a unique record of representing 6 World Cup football tournaments and scoring at least one goal in each, was deeply shocked by this defeat and bid farewell to the World Cup field with tear-filled eyes. On the other hand, it is noteworthy that Spain managed to enter the quarterfinals of a World Cup tournament after 16 years. Previously, they reached the quarterfinals in the 2010 World Cup in South Africa, where they also claimed the World Cup championship.

As neither team could score any goals, the score remained 0-0 at the end of the first half and the full 90 minutes. However, Mikel Merino successfully converted a pass from Ferran Torres into a goal in the first minute of extra time in the second half. Despite Portugal having strong attackers like Cristiano Ronaldo, Bruno Fernandes, and João Félix, this was the fifth consecutive match in this tournament where Spain kept a clean sheet against their opponents. The exceptional performances of goalkeepers Unai Simón of Spain and Diogo Costa of Portugal, who prevented both teams from scoring goals throughout the 90 minutes, were notable.

Meanwhile, in the other pre-quarterfinal match held last Monday, Belgium easily defeated the host nation, the United States, by a score of 4-1. Charles De Ketelaere, who played an excellent game for Belgium, scored two goals in the 9th and 31st minutes, bringing his team to a 2-1 lead by the end of the first half. Subsequently, Hans Vanaken's goal in the 57th minute of the second half increased Belgium's score to 3-1, and Romelu Lukaku scored Belgium's fourth goal at the start of extra time. Accordingly, Spain and Belgium are scheduled to compete against each other in the upcoming quarterfinals.