Monday, July 6 review — Merino ends Ronaldo's dream, Belgium crush the USA

The Round of 16 closed on Monday with two contrasting moods. In Dallas, Portugal and Spain played out a long war of attrition that nothing seemed able to break, until a super-sub named Mikel Merino changed everything. Overnight, Belgium put four goals past an overwhelmed United States on home soil. And at the end of it all, a quarter-final that will mean plenty to every Arsenal supporter.

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Portugal 0-1 Spain — Merino, the super-sub who topples a giant

(Facts — sources: ESPN, Sofascore, Opta.)

For more than 90 minutes, this Iberian derby looked like a game of chess. Two neighbours who know each other inside out, long spells of possession, and precious little space. Diogo Costa was outstanding in the Portugal goal, pulling off a brilliant double save from Lamine Yamal and then Álex Baena to preserve the 0-0. At the other end, Cristiano Ronaldo, Bruno Fernandes, Pedri and Vitinha never really made their mark.

It took a flash of quick thinking to break the deadlock. Deep in stoppage time, with a free-kick just awarded to Spain, Ferran Torres took it fast while the Portugal defence was still protesting. Mikel Merino, on the pitch barely five minutes, ghosted in behind to slot home at 90+1. La Roja reach the quarter-finals for the first time since their World Cup triumph in 2010.

3 key numbers:

• 90+1 — the minute of Merino’s winner, having come on in the 85th.
• 2 crucial Diogo Costa saves, including the double stop from Yamal and Baena.
• 2010 — Spain’s last quarter-final appearance, the year they lifted the trophy.

Gunners spotlight: a perfect night for Mikel Merino, who has quietly become Spain’s go-to super-sub this tournament and delivered at the cruellest possible moment for Portugal. Behind him, David Raya (still Unai Simón’s understudy) and Martín Zubimendi also book their place in the quarters. And on the other bench, an icon walks away: this was Cristiano Ronaldo’s final World Cup match.

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USA 1-4 Belgium — one minute of hope, then the demolition

(Facts — sources: ESPN, Opta, Sofascore.)

Without Kevin De Bruyne and Jérémy Doku from the start, Belgium had questions to answer. They responded by taking control of the ball and the game from the first whistle. Charles De Ketelaere opened the scoring inside nine minutes with a poacher’s finish, after a low Nicolas Raskin cross.

The hosts thought they had a way back into it on the half-hour: Malik Tillman curled in a stunning free-kick, the USA’s first shot of the game, to level and lift Seattle. But the joy lasted just 52 seconds. Straight back down the other end, De Ketelaere headed home at the far post to restore Belgium’s lead, from a Leandro Trossard cross. That goal broke American legs. The second half was a formality: Hans Vanaken made it three in the 57th after a howler from goalkeeper Matt Freese, before Romelu Lukaku wrapped it up in stoppage time. The co-hosts are out of their own World Cup.

The Balogun saga, in the background. The week’s real storyline had started well before kickoff. Expected starter Folarin Balogun was sent off in the USA’s Round of 32 win over Bosnia-Herzegovina (2-0), a red card that should have ruled him out of this Round of 16 tie against Belgium. Then came the twist: FIFA overturned the suspension on Sunday, clearing Balogun to play — a decision reported to have followed a phone call from President Donald Trump to FIFA president Gianni Infantino. Belgium’s federation formally asked FIFA to explain the reversal and challenged the player’s eligibility; manager Rudi Garcia joked it felt like an “April Fools’” prank. Balogun started but recorded neither a goal nor an assist, and Belgium had the last laugh: a photo of Lukaku celebrating his goal, captioned “Overturn this” — a direct dig at the controversy.

3 key numbers:

• 52 seconds between Tillman’s equaliser and De Ketelaere’s restored lead — the real turning point.
• 3 — De Ketelaere involved in three goals (two goals, one assist), a first for a Belgian in a World Cup match.
• 90+3 — Lukaku’s goal to seal the 4-1.

Gunners spotlight: it was Leandro Trossard who whipped in the cross for the go-ahead goal, the 2-1 that swung the tie. Another assist for the Belgium winger, who now has three in the tournament, and a quarter-final spot to show for the night.

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Bracket box — an all-Arsenal quarter-final

(Source: official FIFA bracket, verified via ESPN / FotMob.)

The two winners meet in the next round: Spain – Belgium, Friday, July 10 in Los Angeles. And the tie carries a special flavour from an Arsenal point of view, pitting three Spanish Gunners — Mikel Merino, David Raya and Martín Zubimendi — against their Belgian team-mate Leandro Trossard. Club colleagues, rivals for one evening.

The rest of the quarters are taking shape too: France – Morocco on Thursday, July 9 in Boston, with William Saliba marshalling the France defence, and Norway – England on Saturday, July 11 in Miami, where Martin Ødegaard will face Saka, Rice, Eze and Madueke in another Gunners showdown. Two last-16 ties remain on Tuesday to complete the picture: Argentina-Egypt and Switzerland-Colombia.

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The GG take

(Opinion.)

Two very different matches, one shared lesson: in the knockouts, control isn’t enough — you need the moment that makes the difference.

Portugal can have regrets. Solid, disciplined, well organised around a superb Diogo Costa, they held for 90 minutes before conceding to a single second of switching off. It’s cruel, but that’s the World Cup: one detail, one quickly taken free-kick, one substitute in the right place. For Ronaldo, it’s an understated exit, almost in silence, in what will stand as his final World Cup. The end of a huge story.

Belgium, for their part, reminded everyone of the quality still in their squad, even without their first-choice attackers to start. But the real treat, for us, is that Spain-Belgium quarter-final. Three Gunners against one, an Arsenal dressing room split down the middle for one night in Los Angeles. Add Saliba with France and the Ødegaard-England derby, and you get a set of quarter-finals with red and white just about everywhere. Hard to ask for tastier when you love this club.

#CDM2026 #COYG