WC PROGNOSTICATION: Will Portugal pull off a huge WC upset with a win against Spain on Monday?
93% of users predicted NO — the community got this one right. 27 predictions cast.
Spain defeated Portugal 1-0 in the round of 16 on Monday, July 6, at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, so Portugal did not pull off the upset. The match was scoreless until the 91st minute, when Ferran Torres slipped a weighted pass to substitute Mikel Merino, who slotted the ball past goalkeeper Diogo Costa for the winner. Spain advanced to the quarterfinals.
Because Portugal lost, the question resolved NO. Spain controlled possession for long stretches but was repeatedly denied until Merino's injury-time finish. Portugal, organized defensively, held out until the final minutes before conceding.
The defeat marked the end of Cristiano Ronaldo's final World Cup. The 41-year-old, playing in his sixth tournament, said afterward he was leaving with a "clear conscience." Spain, the reigning European champion, moved on to face Belgium in the last eight and remained among the favorites to win the tournament.
The community read this correctly and by a wide margin: only 7% of voters expected a Portugal win, and Spain's late goal confirmed the heavily favored side's advance.