2026 World Cup Round of 16: Portugal vs Spain Preview, Odds and Predictions (July 6)
- When: Monday, June 6, 2026. 3:00 PM ET
- Where: AT&T Stadium, Arlington, Texas, United States
- How to Watch: FOX
The 2026 World Cup knockout stage heats up with the Round of 16 being active as one matchup takes place in Dallas with Portugal taking on Spain. Both squads are fighting for a place in the quarterfinals, meaning there will be plenty of pressure on both nations in this elimination game.
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Portugal Stats & Team News
Portugal prevailed in its first difficult test of the knockout stage, surviving Croatia with Goncalo Ramos scoring the game-winning goal in stoppage time. Cristiano Ronaldo also finally obtained the first goal in the World Cup knockout stage of his career, adding his third goal this tournament.
Portugal is up for a big game against a familiar rival, having taken down Spain in penalties during the Nations League final. They are well aware of Spain’s offensive quality, needing a strong defensive performance from Nuno Mendes, Joao Cancelo and Ruben Dias to contain Lamine Yamal and his squad.
Likely Lineup:
(4-2-3-1) Costa (GK); Cancelo, Dias, Veiga, Mendes; Neves, Vitinha; Neto, Fernandes, Leão; Ronaldo
Spain Stats & Team News
Spain seems to be gaining its elite form back, easily taking down Austria in 3-0 victory. This marks the team’s first knockout stage win since winning the World Cup in 2010, ending a long drought for the national team.
Lamine Yamal will be key in this matchup, needing to outmatch Portugal’s defenders. While he doesn’t have to be the one scoring the goals, he must create great shots for his teammates to Mikel Oyarzabal, Dani Olmo and Alex Baena to capitalize on.
Likely Lineup:
(4-2-3-1) Simon (GK); Porro, Cubarsí, Laporte, Cucurella; Rodri, Pedri; Yamal, Olmo, Baena; Oyarzabal
Head-to-Head Stats
- This is the 11th all-time meeting between Portugal and Spain.
- Both teams are even with four draws, two wins and two losses each.
- This marks the first competitive meeting between the nations since the 2025 Nations League final.
Portugal vs. Spain World Cup Picks
This game stands out as a slight tossup given the elite quality both teams possess. However, Spain’s offense must be active on all fronts to find cracks in Portugal’s back line. On the other hand, Portugal will try to keep the ball away from Spain to have the best chance of sending one of the World Cup favorites back home. It would be safe to believe that Portugal will come out of the match with a 2-1 win.
