Spain eliminated Portugal in Monday’s World Cup round of 16 match at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, punching a ticket into a bracket loaded with land mines all the way to New Jersey.
The win sends Luis de la Fuente’s group to SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California, for a quarterfinal on Friday, July 10, at noon PT, 3 p.m. ET, against the winner of Monday’s United States-Belgium round of 16 match in Seattle. Advance past that opponent, and Spain returns to Arlington on Tuesday, July 14, for a semifinal against the winner of France’s July 9 meeting with Morocco in the Boston area.
The final waits on July 19 at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey, with a spot against the opposite half of the bracket on the line.
La Roja did not concede a goal across five matches, extending a shutout streak that survived its toughest test yet against Cristiano Ronaldo’s Portugal. Monday’s meeting was the first World Cup encounter between the Iberian neighbors since their 2018 group-stage draw, a match Ronaldo settled with a stoppage-time free kick completing his hat trick.
Spain’s Quarterfinal Foe: Either Team USA or Belgium
De la Fuente’s group has been ruthless since a scoreless opening draw with Cape Verde. Mikel Oyarzabal scored twice in a 3-0 round of 32 win over Austria, pushing his tournament total to four goals, according to Goal‘s Rob Norcup.
The United States brings Folarin Balogun’s box presence and Christian Pulisic’s pace on the flank into Seattle, according to Socios.com‘s USA-Belgium preview. Weston McKennie supplies the midfield engine for Mauricio Pochettino’s squad, and the Americans have shown the kind of collective chemistry that can rattle a possession-heavy opponent over 90 minutes.
Belgium counters with Kevin De Bruyne’s vision and Romelu Lukaku’s physical presence up top, a combination capable of unlocking any defense in a single sequence.
Either quarterfinal opponent presents a threat to Spain’s control-first approach. The Americans thrive on transition speed and defensive disruption, while Belgium’s individual quality means one De Bruyne pass or one Lukaku hold-up play can flip a match in an instant. Spain’s technical edge in midfield makes the Spaniards favorites regardless of which side survives Seattle, but neither game figures to be a walk in the park.
A Semifinal Test Against France or Morocco
Kylian Mbappé’s scoring form has carried France through the bracket, backed by Ousmane Dembélé and Michael Olise creating chances from the wings on one of the tournament’s deepest attacking rosters. A French side operating at that level can turn a tight, controlled match into a rout within a handful of minutes, leaving little room for Spain to recover once the scoreline tilts.
Morocco offers the opposite challenge. The North Africans have built their run on a compact defensive shape and set-piece danger, with Azzedine Ounahi anchoring a midfield built to absorb pressure before striking on the counter. France would enter as the heavier favorite. Morocco would demand patience against a defense that refuses to open up. Spain’s midfield trio of Rodri, Pedri and Gavi will carry the burden of dictating tempo against whichever style shows up in Arlington.
The bracket is set. Only the results in Seattle and Foxborough will determine which version of the gauntlet Spain has to survive on the road to East Rutherford.
Like HEAVY’s content? Be sure to follow us.
This article was originally published on HEAVY
The post Who Does Spain Play Next? World Cup Game Date, Opponent, Kickoff Time appeared first on HEAVY.