Spain Advances to Quarterfinals with Last-Minute Goal; Ronaldo's 'Last Dance' Ends

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In a rivalry match in the Round of 16 of the North and Central American World Cup, Spain defeated Portugal with a dramatic goal in second-half stoppage time to advance to the quarterfinals. Portugal's superstar Cristiano Ronaldo has concluded his final World Cup journey with a bittersweet farewell.

Reporter Bae Jeonghun has the story.

[Reporter]

Spain launched an aggressive attack from the early stages of the first half but struggled with a lack of finishing touch.

In the 8th minute, a decisive shot by Oyarzabal narrowly missed the goal, and 16 minutes later, consecutive shots by Yamal and Baena were blocked by goalkeeper Costa’s impressive saves.

Portugal’s counterattacks also yielded no results.

In the 41st minute, a left-footed shot by Mendes grazed a defender's head and struck the crossbar, and in the 31st minute of the second half, a right-footed volley by Fernandes hit the side netting.

The match, which remained scoreless for over 90 minutes, was decided by a single strike from substitute Merino.

In second-half stoppage time, he expertly penetrated Portugal’s defensive line and calmly converted a pass from Torres into a goal.

With Merino’s dramatic goal, Spain secured a 1-0 victory and a hard-fought spot in the quarterfinals.

Portugal’s superstar Ronaldo played the full match and attempted three shots, but he failed to create a decisive opportunity and could not prevent his team's defeat.

Unable to leave the pitch for a long time after the final whistle, Ronaldo teared up in disappointment. Both Portuguese fans and Spanish players applauded him, honoring the final World Cup of a legend who defined an era.

[Ronaldo/Portugal National Team Forward: Of course, it is sad to leave the World Cup in this way. But I gave everything I had and did my best, so I feel at peace. This is football, and this is the life of a football player.]

[Video Editing: Jang Hyun-ki]
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.