Merino’s goal in injury time qualifies Spain for the quarterfinals

Spain beats Portugal 1-0 with a goal in the 90th minute and advances to the quarterfinals after 16 years.

Publicado 1 day ago el 6 de julio a las 17:01 | 2 mins reading |168 vistas | por Miguel Torres

Agonizing victory in Dallas

The Spanish National Team achieved a victory this Monday that places it in the quarterfinals of the 2026 World Cup. With a goal from Mikel Merino in the 90th minute, it beat Portugal 1-0 in a vibrant match played in Dallas, United States.

The first half was balanced, although Spain was taking control of the midfield. Mikel Oyarzabal failed the clearest by not being able to beat Diogo Costa in a one-on-one match. The Portuguese goalkeeper also stopped a shot from Lamine Yamal and reacted to Álex Baena’s counterattack.

Portugal tried to respond with a shot from Cristiano Ronaldo that Unai Simón controlled, and a powerful shot from Nuno Mendes that deflected off Pedro Porro and hit the crossbar.

Victory goal

In the second half, the pace dropped. Portugal opted for a defensive approach, looking for the counterattack. When everything indicated that the game would go to extra time, Merino appeared to receive a filtered pass from Ferran Torres and finish low at the first post, beating Diogo Costa’s departure.

With this result, the Red Fury broke a negative streak and returned to the World Cup quarterfinals after 16 years. His next rival will come from the duel between the United States and Belgium.

Sports

World Cup 2026: This is how the quarterfinals turned out

Meet the eight teams that will seek the title in the next phase.

Publicado 15 minutes ago el 7 de julio a las 21:08 | 1 min reading

Quarterfinals of the 2026 World Cup: the eight qualifiers

After an intense round of 16, the 2026 World Cup already has its eight best teams. Argentina and Switzerland were the last to get their ticket, thus closing the initial knockout phase.

Morocco led the way by beating Canada 3-0, showing collective strength. France suffered more than necessary against Paraguay, but a Kylian Mbappé penalty gave them a narrow pass.

The biggest surprise occurred on Sunday: Norway eliminated Brazil with a double from Erling Haaland (2-1), prolonging the five-time world champion’s World Cup drought. The Norwegians will now face England, who defeated Mexico 3-2 at the Azteca Stadium. El Tri thus became the second host eliminated.

Portugal was also left out after losing 1-0 to Spain, with a goal in the final minutes. For its part, Belgium beat the United States 4-1, leaving the tournament without any organizing country in the next round.

The quarterfinal duels were defined: France vs. Morocco, Spain vs. Belgium, Norway vs. England and Argentina vs. Switzerland. The phase will be played at venues to be confirmed.

Sports

Referee controversy clouds Argentina’s passage to the quarterfinals

An annulled goal against Egypt sparks controversy in the 2026 World Cup against Argentina.

Publicado 30 minutes ago el 7 de julio a las 20:53 | 1 min reading

Egypt’s elimination against Argentina in the round of 16 of the 2026 World Cup unleashed a strong controversy. The reason: a goal disallowed for the African team and two referee decisions that marked the match.

Argentina came back from 2-0 down to win 3-2 and advance to the quarterfinals. Lionel Messi led the reaction of the two-time world champion, who is seeking the two-time championship. In the 58th minute, Egypt found the score 2-0, but the VAR reviewed the previous play and annulled the score due to an alleged foul on Lisandro Martínez.

Is it missing or not?

The play divided opinions. For Egypt, there was no violation. For Argentina, the decision was correct. Social networks lit up with comments for and against.

Egypt’s reaction

At the end of the match, footballer Mostafa Ziko expressed his discomfort:

“Congratulations to Argentina for the World Cup, the tournament was rigged, they didn’t need anything else… the referee was unfair, unfair, unfair, unfair. The Cup is directed towards Argentina.”

The statement reflects Egyptian frustration over the refereeing decisions in a match that defined the first place in the quarterfinals.

Sports

Quiñones and Ochoa’s Piñatas honor their time at the World Cup

A business in Guadalajara creates piñatas of the most prominent soccer players of the Tricolor.

Publicado 54 minutes ago el 7 de julio a las 20:29 | 1 min reading

The edition of the World Cup left a special mark for Mexico. Not only for being the first country to host the tournament for the third time, but for the performance of the team led by Javier Aguirre. The Tricolor almost reached the quarterfinals, but several players shone.

Julián Quiñones established himself as the top Mexican scorer in the competition. Guillermo Ochoa, despite criticism for his call-up, added minutes and made history by participating in his sixth World Cup.

Handmade tribute from Guadalajara

Their performance inspired “Tu Piñata”, a Guadalajara business specialized in these cardboard and paper figures. The company shared videos on social networks showing the work of its artisans, who created colorful pieces with the image of the soccer players.

The images generated a wave of positive reactions. Users praised the resemblance and creativity. In addition to the Quiñones and Ochoa piñatas, the business made a replica of the World Cup trophy and a figure inspired by Raúl Jiménez, expanding recognition to the Mexican protagonists of the tournament.