A look ahead to Portugal's attempt to derail the Spanish juggernaut at the World Cup

[p]The Portuguese can consider themselves lucky to have even got to this stage of the tournament after a contentious decision in their match against [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/croatia/K8aznggo/"]Croatia[/a] in the very last seconds went their way.[/p][h2]Portugal haven't won successive World Cup knockout games in 20 years[/h2][p]To put into some perspective the task that [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/martinez-roberto/zHf9Etgc/"]Roberto Martinez[/a]’s side has ahead of them, [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/portugal/WvJrjFVN/"]Portugal[/a] haven’t won successive World Cup knockout games in 20 years, though they have won 12 of their last 17 matches in all competitions (D5, L1), and not conceded more than one goal in their last nine games.[/p][p]Not since 2006, when they triumphed over the [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/netherlands/WYintcWb/"]Netherlands[/a] and [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/england/j9N9ZNFA/"]England[/a] before being dumped out of the tournament by [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/france/QkGeVG1n/"]France[/a], have they won consecutive knockout matches, and they play a Spanish team that has won their opening four games in a World Cup for the first time ever, and, what’s more, they’ve yet to concede a goal.[/p][image alt="Portugal v Spain - Live win probability" id="715d5c87-7cb6-4b47-8a4e-4eebe1f20280" credit-line="Opta by Stats Perform" guid="6d88db83-8f04-45a2-b2c0-f353580a6554" original-width="1080" original-height="1080" /][p]It’s only the second time in World Cup history that a team has kept four successive clean sheets at the tournament, with the last time it happened coming in that 2006 edition, when [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/switzerland/rHJ2vy1B/"]Switzerland[/a] were able to do so.[/p][p]Given that La Roja also held [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/morocco/IDKYO3R8/"]Morocco[/a] scoreless in extra time (before going out on penalties) in 2022, were they not to concede again, it would be the first time ever that any side has gone six games without letting in a goal.[/p][infobox id="4ccc1b10-d68f-4c97-bcf4-5e613c17c2e3" /][h2]Spain are one game away from equalling all-time unbeaten record[/h2][p]They've also not conceded in nine of their last 10 matches, and with the likes of [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/lamine-yamal/lAt3vEub/"]Lamine Yamal[/a] and [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/oyarzabal-mikel/dQ1P695O/"]Mikel Oyarzabal[/a] in top form already, they and their colleagues have contributed to an unbeaten run (normal time) of 34 matches in all competitions (W25, D9).[/p][p]That's only one behind their all-time record, and three shy of [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/italy/hlKvieGH/"]Italy[/a]’s 37, which is the current best mark amongst European nations.[/p][image alt="Spain's current form" id="0b634aa6-124a-48d8-8059-8ebb5b49260b" credit-line="Flashscore" guid="4e47e902-1b27-4ce6-adf0-a6ed1b16a59c" original-width="1200" original-height="1200" /][p]Indeed, Oyarzabal’s four goals in this edition of the tournament are just one behind [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/villa-david/fsOIUIlq/"]David Villa[/a]’s five from 2010, when [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/spain/bLyo6mco/"]Spain[/a] won the tournament courtesy of [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/iniesta-andres/E7AksdFj/"]Andres Iniesta[/a]’s late winner in [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/south-africa/W2ijYvlr/"]South Africa[/a] over the Netherlands.[/p][p][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/austria/naHiWdnt/"]Austria[/a] were no match for them in the Round of 32, and Spain's eventual 3-0 victory was so comprehensive that they hadn't allowed their opponents a single shot on target - the first time this had occurred in a World Cup knockout game since [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/germany/ptQide1O/"]Germany[/a] had done so in the 2014 final against [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/argentina/f9OppQjp/"]Argentina[/a].[/p][h2]Ronaldo's great record against La Roja[/h2][p]Manager, Luis de la Fuente, has also not lost his opening 11 competitive matches, and if his Spain side should go through in this one, he will equal the record of Louis van Gaal and Aime Jacquet as the only managers to remain undefeated in their first dozen competitive games.[/p][p]Although he’s only ever scored one knockout goal in the World Cup - a penalty in Portugal’s last game against Croatia - [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/ronaldo-cristiano/WGOY4FSt/"]Ronaldo[/a] is something of a thorn in the side of the Spanish, given that his four goals scored against them can only be equalled by [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/chile/KUCG35cM/"]Chile[/a]’s [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/vargas-eduardo/zPqz7CNT/"]Eduardo Vargas[/a].[/p][embed guid="1c811d0b-1f6f-45d9-bf77-9e1c694c130a" url="https://x.com/selecaoportugal/status/2073866684100641119" social-type="twitter" /][p]Indeed, in the last World Cup meeting between the two teams in 2018, Ronaldo’s hat-trick, including a stunning late free-kick, helped his side to a 3-3 draw, in what was a truly epic encounter.[/p][p]That was one of four draws between the teams, who have also won one fixture each from the six meetings to date.[/p][h2]Portugal are the only team to beat Spain since June 2023[/h2][p]Though Portugal did beat Spain in the Nations League in 2025, that was via a penalty shoot-out, and it remains their sole victory over them since 2004, when [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/gomes-nuno/CIzVCA3a/"]Nuno Gomes[/a] scored in the European Championship.[/p][image alt="Portugal v Spain - Recent head-to-head results" id="d21e452b-bd45-45a5-88c8-bf99650e1b24" credit-line="Flashscore" guid="289cbc69-e72e-413f-8e62-4ac900c4c29e" original-width="1200" original-height="1200" /][p]That result also represents La Roja's only defeat since June 2023, and in the last 12 competitive games, Spain has won six, with the other five being drawn. [/p][p]It's another indication of the size of the task that faces Ronaldo and Co., and with both sides expected to be at full strength, this could be another game for the purists.[/p][p][b][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/soccer/portugal-WvJrjFVN/spain-bLyo6mco/?mid=tbTsReVa"]Follow Portugal vs Spain with Flashscore[/a][/b].[/p][infobox id="8a8311c3-81b3-440e-8b49-36091db073d1" /]