- Spain are unbeaten in their last 10 matches in all competitions (W6, D4) while Portugal have won six of their last ten (D3, L1).
- Spain have won each of their last three away matches across all competitions, scoring eight goals in the process.
- Cristiano Ronaldo has scored three times in Portugal's last five matches, but Spain have their own goal machine in the form of Mikel Oyarzabal, who has scored five goals in his last five appearances.
Spain to edge past Portugal in Dallas
Two of the best sides in this FIFA World Cup 2026 knockout stage will clash when Portugal play Spain in Dallas on Monday and, although La Furia Roja enter this contest as the more likely winners, the odds on offer are much too close.
Spain, 1.92, are much too big to back for a match that has Portugal coming in at 4.1 and the draw at 3.6, but they have proven their steel in knocking out Austria 3-0 in their previous knockout clash, while Portugal battled their way past Croatia 2-1.
Spain's five-match form is better than Portugal's by a nose with four wins and one draw compared to three wins and two draws, but both sides have impressed in this tournament and look very good on paper. Spain are on a three-game winning streak and Portugal have three wins and a draw in their last four.
An elite chess match of two very good football teams
Roberto Martinez has kept his team flexible and able to adapt to any situation in this World Cup so far, switching from a 4-3-3 to a back-three approach as and when required. The two sides that have featured most prominently are a left-sided overload and a right-sided overload with the wingers taking up the full-back positions and the wing-backs hugging the touchline.
It will be fascinating to see how Spain's ball-dominant approach and high press works against Portugal's ever-changing structure, but it should suit Luis de la Fuente's men as they can squeeze the ball out of Portugal's build-up phase and dictate tempo.
Spain can win this, but not comfortably.
