Merino strikes at the death for Spain to send Portugal and Ronaldo limping out

Mikel Merino punches the air after scoring the winner in the first minute of second-half injury time. Mikel Merino punches the air after scoring the winner in the first minute of second-half injury time. World Cup 2026 Merino strikes at the death for Spain to send Portugal and Ronaldo limping out Jonathan Wilson at Dallas Stadium Mon 6 Jul 2026 17.09 EDT Last modified on Mon 6 Jul 2026 21.30 EDT Share Prefer the Guardian on Google It ended with a goal from a tall, slightly ungainly figure driving through the centre-forward position – but perhaps not the one that the narrative demanded. In stoppage time, Mikel Merino ran on to Ferran Torres’s through-ball and, with impressive calm after a scrappy game that had largely lacked it, rolled the winner past Diogo Costa.