Spain edge Portugal to send Ronaldo out of World Cup

ARLINGTON: Spain booked a place in the World Cup quarter-finals with a 1-0 win over Portugal on Monday, scoring in stoppage time to end Cristiano Ronaldo’s final appearance at the tournament.

The deciding goal came in the first minute of added time, when substitute Ferran Torres set up fellow replacement Mikel Merino. Spain, the reigning European champions, will now play Belgium on Friday in Los Angeles.

The last-16 meeting drew a crowd of 70,649 at the Dallas Cowboys’ indoor stadium, but the contest did not match its billing for long periods. Both sides arrived unbeaten, though Portugal had looked less convincing in earlier matches, while Spain had yet to concede in the tournament — a record they maintained with this result.

The defeat marked the end of Ronaldo’s World Cup career. The 41-year-old, who now plays in Saudi Arabia, had said before the match that this edition would be his last on football’s biggest stage. Spain, among the teams tipped strongly before the tournament, remain in the running for a second World Cup title after their 2010 triumph.