Portugal captain Cristiano Ronaldo received a heartfelt message from his mother Maria Dolores ahead of the team's FIFA World Cup 2026 Round of 16 clash against Spain. The message was posted on Instagram, where Maria wrote: "Good luck to our national team, we are together."
Portugal's Road to the Round of 16
Portugal advanced to the knockout stage after a dramatic 2-1 victory over Croatia in the Round of 32. Goncalo Ramos scored a stoppage-time winner, keeping the team's title hopes alive. Manager Roberto Martinez's side is aiming for back-to-back World Cup quarter-final appearances for the first time in the nation's history. However, Portugal has not won successive World Cup knockout matches since 2006.
Spain's Impressive Form
Spain enters the match in formidable form. Luis de la Fuente's team stormed into the Round of 16 with a commanding 3-0 win over Austria. They became the first team since Germany in the 2014 World Cup final to prevent their opponents from registering a single shot on target in a knockout match.
Historical Context
The Iberian rivals last met at the World Cup in 2018, when Ronaldo scored a memorable hat-trick in a thrilling 3-3 draw. Portugal will now hope their captain can produce another decisive performance and extend his farewell World Cup journey by at least one more match.
According to ANI, the match is set to take place in Texas, USA, as part of the FIFA World Cup 2026 tournament.
