Mikel Merino’s late goal sends Spain to quarterfinals and ends Cristiano Ronaldo’s World Cup career | National Sports

ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — Mikel Merino was still on the bench in the final minutes of regulation, with Spain coach Luis de la Fuente worried about hanging on to his substitutes as long as possible because of looming extra time.

The Arsenal forward made all that fretting moot.

kAm|6C:?@ D4@C65 😕 E96 7:CDE >:?FE6 @7 D64@?5\92=7 DE@AA286 E:>6[ 2?5 $A2:? 362E !@CEF82= `\_ @? |@?52J E@ 6?5 E96 k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^2A?6HD]4@>^9F3^7:72\H@C=5\4FAQm(@C=5 rFAk^2m 42C66C @7 DFA6CDE2C rC:DE:2?@ #@?2=5@]k^Am

kAm|6C:?@ 925 ;FDE 366? @4<65 5@H?[ 2?5 2 7@F= H2D 42==65] (9:=6 !@CEF82=VD q6C?2C5@ $:=G2 2C8F65[ |6C:?@ A=2J65 E96 32== 324< :?[ C2? E@H2C5 E96 8@2= 2?5 k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^I]4@>^u~)$A@CED^DE2EFD^a_fcabddah_ggh`bebcQm62D:=J 362E 8@2=<66A6C s:@8@ r@DE2k^2m 27E6C 2 D6C:6D @7 A2DD6D 42AA65 3J u6CC2? %@CC6DV ?:7EJ 32== E9C@F89 E96 >:55=6]k^Am

kAm“w6VD @?6 @7 E96 36DE 😕 9:D A@D:E:@? H@C=5H:56[ 2?5 96 92D 8:G6? FD 2 72?E2DE:4 C6DF=E 2?5 2 72?E2DE:4 8@2=[” 56 =2 uF6?E6 D2:5 E9C@F89 2 EC2?D=2E@C] “x H2?E E@ 6IAC6DD E96 :>A@CE2?46 @7 DF3DE:EFE6D E92E 42>6 😕 =2E6C 😕 E96 82>6] }@E ;FDE E@52J[ 3FE E96 4@?EC:3FE:@? 😕 @E96C 82>6D 92D 366? 6?@C>@FD]”k^Am

kAm$A2:? 25G2?465 E@ E96 BF2CE6C7:?2=D 7@C E96 7:CDE E:>6 D:?46 H:??:?8 :ED @?=J (@C=5 rFA E:E=6 😕 a_`_] {2 #@;2 H:== A=2J 6:E96C E96 &?:E65 $E2E6D @C q6=8:F> @? uC:52J 😕 x?8=6H@@5[ r2=:7@C?:2]k^Am

kAm#@?2=5@ H2D ECJ:?8 E@ 86E !@CEF82= E@ E96 BF2CE6C7:?2=D 😕 2 D64@?5 4@?D64FE:G6 E@FC?2>6?E 7@C E96 7:CDE E:>6] x?DE625[ E96 42C66C @? D@446CVD 3:886DE DE286 😀 @G6C 7@C E96 2==\E:>6 =6256C 😕 :?E6C?2E:@?2= 8@2=D W`ceX 2?5 2AA62C2?46D WabbX]k^Am

kAm|6C:?@ 5:5?VE 6?E6C F?E:= E96 gdE9 >:?FE6[ 2?5 9:D 9625D\FA A=2J D9@H65 D@>6 @7 E96 G6CD2E:=:EJ E92E 96=A65 pCD6?2= H:? :ED 7:CDE !C6>:6C {628F6 E:E=6 😕 >@C6 E92? a_ J62CD E9:D DAC:?8]k^Am

kAm%96 (@C=5 rFA H2D 😕 5@F3E 7@C |6C:?@[ H9@ EFC?65 b_ 5FC:?8 E96 E@FC?2>6?E[ 27E6C C:89E 7@@E DFC86CJ 4FE D9@CE 9:D pCD6?2= D62D@?]k^Am

kAmx? E96 3:886DE >@>6?E @7 E96 J62C 7@C $A2:?[ E96C6 96 H2D H:E9 7C6D9 =68D[ 7:?:D9:?8 H:E9 9:D =67E 7@@E :?E@ E96 =67E 4@C?6C @7 E96 ?6E] p7E6C 6>6C8:?8 7C@> 2 8C@FA 9F8 H:E9 9:D E62>>2E6D[ |6C:?@ >256 2 4:C4=6 2C@F?5 E96 7=28 😕 2 4@C?6C 367@C6 =6EE:?8 @FE 2 8FEEFC2= D4C62> H9:=6 4=6?49:?8 3@E9 7:DED]k^Am

kAm%92EVD 9@H 9:D 72E96C[ |:8F6= |6C:?@[ 46=63C2E65 >@C6 E92? E9C66 564256D 28@ 5FC:?8 9:D 4=F3 42C66C 😕 $A2:?] p?5 9:D D@? 7:CDE 6>F=2E65 :E 27E6C 2 =2E6 8@2= E@ 362E 9@DE v6C>2?J E@ D6?5 $A2:? E@ E96 D6>:7:?2=D @7 E96 tFC@A62? 492>A:@?D9:A EH@ J62CD 28@]k^Am

kAm%9:D H2D |:<6= |6C:?@VD 7:CDE (@C=5 rFA 8@2=[ 2?5 “E9 7@C E96 ?2E:@?2= E62>]k^Am

kAm“(92E 36EE6C H2J E@ 46=63C2E6[” |6C:?@ D2:5] “*@F C6>6>36C 2== E96 8@@5 2?5 E96 325[ 2?5 E96C6 92G6 366? 5:77:4F=E >@>6?ED 7@C >6 E9:D J62C]”k^Am

kAm%96 =2E6DE >66E:?8 @7 x36C:2? !6?:?DF=2 C:G2=D E92E 7:CDE A=2J65 😕 2 7C:6?5=J 😕 |25C:5 `_d J62CD 28@ H2D BF:E6 E96 4@?EC2DE E@ E96:C >@DE C646?E (@C=5 rFA >2E49]k^Am

kAmxE H2D 6:89E J62CD 28@ E92E #@?2=5@ 925 9:D @?=J (@C=5 rFA 92E EC:4< 😕 2 b\b 5C2H H:E9 $A2:? 😕 2 8C@FA DE286 @A6?6C E92E 😀 4@?D:56C65 @?6 @7 E96 E@FC?2>6?EVD 36DE 82>6D]k^Am

kAm%96 c`\J62C\@=5 DFA6CDE2C D4@C65 E9C66 E:>6D 😕 E9:D E@FC?2>6?E[ 3FE 5:5?VE 92G6 >2?J 492?46D 282:?DE $A2:?VD &?2: $:>ó?[ k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^2A?6HD]4@>^2CE:4=6^DA2:?\D:>@?\H@C=5\4FA\D9FE@FE\DEC62<\da`64hf26_cffa6c_775e4e`4_g5g6_fQmH9@ 6IE6?565 9:D (@C=5 rFA C64@C5k^2m E@ e_h >:?FE6D H:E9@FE 4@?465:?8 2 8@2=] $A2:? 3642>6 E96 7:CDE E62> E@ C64@C5 D:I DEC2:89E D9FE@FED 2E E96 (@C=5 rFA]k^Am

kAm%96 36DE 492?46 H2D #@?2=5@VD ?:7EJ 324:?FE6 H96? y@2@ u6=:I’D 96256C 567=64E65 @77 $:>ó?’D =67E D9@F=56C 2?5 A@AA65 😕 E96 2:C E@ #@?2=5@] w6 7=:4<65 E96 32== H:E9 9:D C:89E 7@@E[ 3FE :E H2D D@7E 6?@F89 E@ 8:G6 $:>ó? E:>6 E@ C64@G6C 2?5 >2<6 2 =62A:?8 8C23]k^Am

kAm“x’== H2<6 FA E@>@CC@H =:<6 x H@<6 FA E@52J[ H:E9 2 4=62C 4@?D4:6?46[” D2:5 #@?2=5@[ H9@ 2 52J 62C=:6C 925 C6A62E65 9:D AC6G:@FD 564=2C2E:@? E92E k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^2A?6HD]4@>^2CE:4=6^A@CEF82=\4C:DE:2?@\C@?2=5@\H@C=5\4FA\4d2h`haa5hb5`7ac`g3cfa3fgghf`643Qm9:D D:IE9 (@C=5 rFA H@F=5 36 9:D =2DEk^2m] “x 82G6 >J 36DE] x H@? E9C66 E:E=6D H:E9 !@CEF82=] q67@C6 rC:DE:2?@[ !@CEF82= 925?’E H@? 2?J E:E=6] $@[ x’> 92AAJ] %96 3:886DE E:E=6 E92E x H@? H:E9 E96 ?2E:@?2= E62> H2D 😕 a_`e WtFC@A62? r92>A:@?D9:AX[ H9:49 7@C >6 925 E96 D2>6 5:>6?D:@? 2D 2 (@C=5 rFA[ 9@?6DE=J]”k^Am

kAm!@CEF82= 56DA6C2E6=J AFD965 7@C 2? 6BF2=:K6C 😕 E96 7:?2= 6:89E >:?FE6D @7 DE@AA286 E:>6] $:=G2 925 2 96256C E92E H6?E ;FDE @G6C E96 E@A @7 E96 ?6E]k^Am

kAm%96 5676?D:G6 DECF88=6 42>6 ;FDE EH@ 52JD D9J @7 2 J62C D:?46 !@CEF82= 362E $A2:? 😕 2 C:G6E:?8 &tup }2E:@?D {628F6 7:?2= E92E H6?E E@ A6?2=EJ <:4

kAm%96 @E96C (@C=5 rFA >66E:?8 H2D $A2:?VD `\_ G:4E@CJ — 2=D@ 😕 E96 C@F?5 @7 `e — H96? {2 #@;2 H@? E96 E:E=6 😕 $@FE9 p7C:42]k^Am

kAm“xE H2D 2 8C62E >2E49] %H@ DFA6C3 E62>D[” 56 =2 uF6?E6 D2:5] “pD H6 925 D2:5 :E[ :E H2D =:<6 2? 2?E:4:A2E65 7:?2=] pD :E H2D 6IA64E65[ H6 925 E@ DF776C F?E:= E96 G6CJ 6?5]”k^Am

kAm&?E:= $A2:? 5:5?VE 92G6 E@ DF776C 2?J>@C6 — E92?

k9C ^m

kAmk2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^2A?6HD]4@>^9F3^7:72\H@C=5\4FAQm$66 >@C6 @7 p!’D (@C=5 rFA 4@G6C286 96C6k^2mk^Am

Copyright 2026 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.