Spain defeated Austria 3-0 in a dominant Round of 32 encounter at the 2026 FIFA World Cup, with Mikel Oyarzabal scoring twice to inspire La Roja into the Round of 16.
Spain controlled possession for most of the contest and showed their technical quality against an Austrian side that struggled to cope with their movement and attacking combinations.
The Spanish team remained patient in the first half before eventually finding the breakthrough.
Oyarzabal opened the scoring in the 36th minute after a well-worked move, finishing calmly from a precise pass by Marc Cucurella to give Spain a deserved lead before the interval.
Austria attempted to respond at the start of the second half by making tactical changes.
Carney Chukwuemeka replaced Nicolas Seiwald, while Florian Grillitsch came on for Xaver Schlager in the 46th minute as the Austrians searched for more energy and creativity in midfield.
Further attacking substitutions followed in the 60th minute, with Marko Arnautovic replacing Michael Gregoritsch and Sasa Kalajdzic coming on for Romano Schmid.
The changes briefly increased Austria’s attacking intent, but Spain remained organised at the back and denied them clear scoring opportunities.
Spain doubled their advantage in the 66th minute through Pedro Porro, who finished confidently after being set up by Alex Baena.
The goal reflected Spain’s dominance and effectively put them in control of the match.
Coach Luis de la Fuente then freshened his squad in the 71st minute, introducing Ferran Torres for Alex Baena and Mikel Merino for Dani Carvajal.
Gavi also replaced Lamine Yamal as Spain maintained their intensity and continued to dictate the pace of the game.
Austria’s frustrations grew as Stefan Posch received a yellow card before being replaced by Alexander Prass in the 85th minute.
Spain sealed an emphatic victory in the 89th minute when Oyarzabal struck again, once more benefiting from an excellent assist by Cucurella.
The forward’s brace highlighted his clinical finishing and crowned an impressive individual performance.
In stoppage time, Spain made additional substitutions as Fabian Ruiz replaced Pedri and Marc Pubill came on for Aymeric Laporte, allowing the team to manage the closing moments comfortably.
Luis de la Fuente hailed his players’ discipline, intensity and teamwork after Spain’s 3-0 win over Austria
The result underlined Spain’s status as one of the tournament favourites, with their blend of possession, creativity and defensive discipline proving too much for Austria.
Oyarzabal’s brace, combined with Cucurella’s two assists and Porro’s goal, ensured Spain progressed to the Round of 16 in convincing fashion.
Spain remain the only team yet to concede a goal at the 2026 FIFA World Cup, maintaining a perfect defensive record and keeping a clean sheet in every match played .
Austria exited the competition after being outplayed by a confident Spanish side.
Portugal escape into R16 in dramatic knockout contest against Croatia
Meanwhile, Portugal reached the FIFA World Cup Round of 16 after defeating Croatia 2-1 in a dramatic knockout contest filled with VAR controversy, late twists and Cristiano Ronaldo’s historic contribution.
Portugal dominated the opening exchanges, with Cristiano Ronaldo leading the attack alongside Pedro Neto and Rafael Leão, forcing Croatia onto the defensive.
Portugal nearly scored in the fourth minute when Rafael Leão cut the ball back for Bruno Fernandes, whose low effort was brilliantly saved by Dominik Livaković.
Pedro Neto repeatedly troubled Croatia’s defence with his pace, while Ronaldo narrowly missed connecting with dangerous deliveries inside the penalty area.
Croatia weathered the pressure before midfield veterans Luka Modrić and Mateo Kovačić gradually wrestled control through composed passing.
The breakthrough arrived in the 53rd minute when Ivan Perišić finished expertly from Josip Stanišić’s cross to give Croatia a surprise 1-0 lead.
Portugal responded immediately, increasing the tempo as Ronaldo urged his teammates forward in search of an equaliser against Croatia’s disciplined defensive block.
The decisive turning point came in the 68th minute after VAR reviewed a foul by Nikola Vlašić on Renato Veiga inside the penalty area.
Ronaldo stepped forward calmly and sent Livaković the wrong way from the penalty spot, scoring his first-ever World Cup knockout-stage goal to level the contest at 1-1.
The Portuguese captain celebrated passionately as thousands of supporters inside Toronto Stadium erupted, sensing momentum had shifted decisively.
Coach Roberto Martínez substituted Ronaldo in the 81st minute, introducing fresh legs as Portugal searched for a winning goal before extra time.
Croatia believed they had regained the lead during another frantic attack, but the effort was ruled out for offside after a VAR review.
The breakthrough finally arrived in the 94th minute when substitute Gonçalo Ramos powered home Rafael Leão’s inviting cross to make it 2-1.
Ronaldo celebrated wildly from the bench as Ramos’s header completed Portugal’s remarkable comeback and sparked emotional scenes among players and supporters.
Croatia launched one final assault and thought they had forced extra time in the 103rd minute through Josko Gvardiol.
However, VAR detected an offside involving Mario Pašalić in the build-up, ruling out the goal and breaking Croatian hearts.
The decision sparked furious protests from Croatian players and supporters, with bottles thrown onto the pitch as the referee confirmed the verdict.
The final whistle confirmed Portugal’s dramatic victory, while Croatia’s campaign ended in heartbreaking fashion after one of the tournament’s most controversial finishes.
“It was a difficult match, but we believed until the end,” Ronaldo said after helping Portugal secure a place in the last 16.
Portugal will now face Spain in the Round of 16, with Ronaldo’s World Cup dream still alive after another memorable chapter in his remarkable international career.