Portugal and the U.S. men's national soccer teams were eliminated from the 2026 FIFA World Cup after losing their round-of-16 matches on Monday [1], [2].
The exit of these two teams marks a significant shift in the tournament bracket, removing a global superstar in Cristiano Ronaldo and a host-nation contender from the competition.
In Dallas, Texas, Spain defeated Portugal with a final score of 1-0 [3], [4]. The match remained scoreless until stoppage time, when Mikel Merino came off the bench to score the deciding goal [5]. This result ended Portugal's run in the tournament and signaled the end of the road for the squad in the round of 16 [6].
Simultaneously, the U.S. men's national team faced Belgium in their own round-of-16 clash [1], [2]. Belgium defeated the U.S. to secure a place in the next stage of the tournament, resulting in the elimination of the American side [2].
The losses on July 6, 2026, leave both nations to reflect on their performances as the World Cup progresses toward the quarter-finals [1], [2]. While Spain advances through a narrow victory in Texas, Belgium continues its pursuit of the title after a dominant showing against the U.S. [2], [5].
“Mikel Merino came off the bench to score in stoppage time as Spain eliminated Portugal”
The elimination of Portugal and the U.S. removes two of the tournament's most high-profile draws. For Portugal, the exit likely marks the final World Cup appearance for Cristiano Ronaldo, one of the most decorated players in history. For the U.S., the loss represents a missed opportunity to leverage home-field advantage to reach the final stages of the competition.
