Portugal vs Spain Key Stats: FIFA World Cup 2026
by Trystan Pugh ·
Updated
Below you can find key stats for Portugal vs Spain. From historical trends to player milestones, we have you covered for every match at FIFA World Cup 2026 in USA, Canada & Mexico!
- There have been two World Cup meetings between Portugal and Spain. Cristiano Ronaldo scored a hat-trick when they drew 3-3 in Sochi in their opening group game of the 2018 FIFA World Cup. Ronaldo was also in the Portugal side when they lost 1-0 to eventual champions Spain in the round of 16 of the 2010 tournament in Cape Town.
- Spain lead the overall head‑to‑head, with 17 wins from 41 meetings to Portugal’s six, alongside 18 draws. Six of their last seven encounters have finished level after regular time — most recently the 2025 UEFA Nations League final in Munich, where Portugal prevailed 5-3 on penalties following a 2-2 draw. Current head coaches Roberto Martínez and Luis de la Fuente were in charge, respectively, for Portugal and Spain in that final, meeting in opposition for the first time.
- Portugal’s World Cup record against European teams is P16 W8 D2 L6. They have won five and lost four of their knockout ties.
- Portugal have lost only three of their last 15 matches at the FIFA World Cup (W7 D5).
- Portugal are aiming to reach successive World Cup quarter-finals for the first time. They defeated Switzerland 6-1 at this stage of the competition in 2022.
- Against Croatia, Cristiano Ronaldo scored his 11th goal at the FIFA World Cup and his first in the knockout phase.
- Gonçalo Ramos has now registered four goals at the FIFA World Cup for Portugal. Only Eusébio (with nine) and Cristiano Ronaldo (with 11) have scored more.
- Diogo Costa could become the first Portuguese goalkeeper to reach the landmark of 10 World Cup appearances.
- Spain have won four of their last five World Cup knockout matches against European opposition, the lone exception being their 2018 round of 16 exit to Russia — a 1-1 draw followed by defeat in the penalty shoot‑out.
- Spain are aiming to reach the quarter‑finals for the first time since 2010, when they beat Portugal 1-0 in the round of 16. They have been eliminated via penalty shoot‑outs in their last two appearances at this stage — against Russia in 2018 and Morocco in 2022.
- Spain are unbeaten in regular time in their last 34 matches (W25 D9) in a run stretching back to a 1-0 defeat at the hands of Colombia in a friendly in London on 22 March 2024.
- Spain have not conceded a single goal in the first half of their last eight FIFA World Cup matches.
- Spain have not conceded a goal in their last five World Cup matches, equalling the competition record set by Italy (1990) and Switzerland (2006-2010).
- The clean sheet for Unai Simón against Austria was his fifth in successive matches at the FIFA World Cup (dating back to December 2022, when Spain drew 0-0 with Morocco before losing on a penalty shoot-out), equalling Walter Zenga’s record for Italy in 1990.
- Unai Simón has gone 519 minutes without conceding a goal in FIFA World Cup matches, beating Walter Zenga’s all-time record of 517 minutes from 1990.
- Portugal head coach Roberto Martínez is a Spanish native, born in Balaguer, Catalonia – though he has never been in charge of a Spanish side.
- Spain’s Fabián Ruiz, a Paris Saint-Germain player, has won the UEFA Champions League with the French club in each of the past two seasons alongside Portugal quartet Nuno Mendes, Vitinha, João Neves and Gonçalo Ramos.
- Spain midfielder Rodri has been a Manchester City team-mate of Portugal’s Rúben Dias since 2020. He also played alongside Portugal’s Bernardo Silva for City from 2019-2026.
- Spain striker Mikel Oyarzabal plays at Real Sociedad with Portugal’s Gonçalo Guedes. They won the Copa del Rey together in 2025/26.
- João Cancelo joined Barcelona on loan for the second time in January this year and won the 2025/26 La Liga title alongside Spain squad members Eric García, Ferran Torres, Gavi, Dani Olmo, Joan García, Lamine Yamal, Pedri and Pau Cubarsí. The Portugal full-back also played in Spain for Valencia from 2014-2017.
- Portugal captain Cristiano Ronaldo was a Real Madrid player from 2009-2018, winning 15 trophies with the club, including four UEFA Champions League and two La Liga titles, and scoring a club-record 450 goals in 438 matches.
- Spain’s Pedro Porro played in Portugal for Sporting CP from 2020-2023, winning the domestic league and cup double with the Lisbon club in 2020/2021.
- Spain’s Álex Grimaldo was a Benfica player from 2016-2023, winning four Portuguese league titles with the club.
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