Mumbai, July 6 (IANS) Portugal and Spain, two of Europe’s oldest rivals, meet in Arlington with Cristiano Ronaldo possibly playing his last World Cup match, while co-hosts USA welcome Belgium to Seattle for a shot at a quarter-final they haven’t reached in over two decades. Add a red card twist, a fading golden generation, and two sides that both needed late drama just to get here, and this is about as good as a World Cup matchday gets.

Portugal and Spain share a border and a rivalry that goes back more than a century, but at World Cups it’s only happened twice – Spain edged a tight Round of 16 tie in 2010, and the two put on a classic in 2018, sharing six goals in a 3-3 draw that’s still talked about today. The most recent meeting was even more dramatic: Portugal beat Spain on penalties in last year’s UEFA Nations League final, becoming the first team ever to win the competition twice. Spain will start as favourites this time, but this fixture has a habit of tearing up the script.

At 41, this is very likely Cristiano Ronaldo’s fifth and final World Cup, and he’s made sure people are still talking about him – three goals so far, including two in Portugal’s 5-0 opening statement against Uzbekistan, and his first-ever World Cup knockout goal, a penalty that sent Portugal past Croatia in the last 32. Whatever happens on Tuesday, he’s already become the first player in history to score at six different World Cups. Spain, for their part, aren’t short of their own box-office name in Lamine Yamal, easing back to full fitness after his injury lay-off.

Here’s the stat doing the rounds in the Spain camp: four matches, zero goals against. That’s a perfect defensive record through the group stage and into the knockouts, capped by a 3-0 dismantling of Austria in the last 32. Portugal have been productive at the other end – eight goals in four games, but they’ve also looked shakier defensively, letting in two, including a nervy draw with DR Congo in their opener. Something has to give when a free-scoring side meets a defence that hasn’t been breached all tournament.

Spain arrive as reigning European champions and one of the outright favourites to go all the way, sitting just behind France in most bookmakers’ lists. Portugal, meanwhile, are looking to go one better than their 2022 exit, when they fell in the quarter-finals to Morocco. A win here sets up a mouthwatering possible route to the semis, reason enough for neutrals to tune in even without the Ronaldo factor.

This tournament has been relentless for goals – 215 were scored in the group stage alone, more than any previous World Cup managed across a full tournament (the old record was 172, set in Qatar in 2022). Portugal and Spain have done their bit, with eight goals apiece already, and neither side has looked like taking their foot off the gas so far.

Players to watch:

Portugal: Cristiano Ronaldo, Bruno Fernandes, Nuno Mendes

Spain: Lamine Yamal, Mikel Oyarzabal, Pedri

–IANS

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