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Portugal's Cristiano Ronaldo celebrates scoring their first goal.
REUTERS/Jeenah Moon
The World Cup Round of 16 brings us a rematch of the 2025 UEFA Nations League final between two European heavyweights.
Cristiano Ronaldo and Portugal take on Lamine Yamal and Spain, with a spot in the tournament’s final eight on the line. This highly anticipated match pits the old guard against the new generation of soccer stardom.
Spain is a -105 moneyline favorite to win within 90 minutes, while Portugal enters as a +280 underdog on DraftKings Sportsbook.
Portugal vs. Spain World Cup prediction, best bets
Portugal was on the brink of elimination in their Round of 32 matchup against Croatia.
Ivan Perišić’s goal in the 53rd minute gave the Croatians a 1-0 lead. However, Ronaldo converted a penalty in the 68th minute to level the score, and substitute Gonçalo Ramos scored four minutes into stoppage time.
VAR denied Joško Gvardiol’s goal to tie the score eight minutes later, and Seleção managed to escape.
Portugal’s Cristiano Ronaldo celebrates scoring their first goal. REUTERSIt’s been a mixed bag for Portugal in this tournament. Aside from a 5-1 win over Uzbekistan, they drew with Colombia and surprisingly with DR Congo to finish second in Group K before the knockout rounds.
The same could’ve been said of their Iberian counterparts, but after an unexpected draw in their opener against Cape Verde, the European champion picked up steam and won Group H thanks to stifling defense.
Spain cruised to a 3-0 win over Austria to open the knockout rounds, powered by Mikal Oyarzabal’s brace and yet another tactical defensive effort from Alexis de la Fuente’s team.
Spain’s Lamine Yamal in action. Gary Vasquez-Imagn ImagesLa Roja has not conceded a goal in the tournament, flexing its midfield versatility and adding a new wrinkle to its already strong attack. The No. 3-ranked club in FIFA’s latest rankings has four clean sheets entering this match, having dominated possession and used Yamal’s instinctive ball-handling to lure opposing defenses.
The 19-year-old star has had to adjust to the physicality of play, but has embraced his role as decoy, pushing the pace for his teammates with Oyarzabal leading Spain with four goals.
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Ronaldo’s position in the central attack will be more challenging against Spain’s defense. It will fall to players like Bruno Fernandes and Joao Neves to manage the ball against Dani Olmo and Pedri.
With both sides so familiar with one another, a slow-grind game is expected, making the under 2.5 goal line a feasible play.
Spain is rounding into form at the best time, while Portugal’s recent play has been far from perfect. Lean on La Roja to strike first and ultimately hold on to face the winners of USA-Belgium in the quarterfinals.
The Play: Spain 1H moneyline (+150, DraftKings) | Spain to advance (-200, bet365)
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