Mikel Merino's late goal sends Spain to quarterfinals and ends Cristiano Ronaldo's World Cup career

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.

Merino scored in the first minute of second-half stoppage time, and Spain beat Portugal 1-0 on Monday to end the World Cup career of superstar Cristiano Ronaldo.

Merino had just been knocked down, and a foul was called. While Portugal's Bernardo Silva argued, Merino played the ball back in, ran toward the goal and easily beat goalkeeper Diogo Costa after a series of passes capped by Ferran Torres' nifty ball through the middle.

“He's one of the best in his position worldwide, and he has given us a fantastic result and a fantastic goal,” de la Fuente said through a translator. “I want to express the importance of substitutes that came in later in the game. Not just today, but the contribution in other games has been enormous.”

Spain, which has a 35-game unbeaten streak, advanced to the quarterfinals for the first time since winning its only World Cup title in 2010. La Roja will play Belgium, a 4-1 winner over the United States, on Friday in Inglewood, California.

Ronaldo was trying to get Portugal to the quarterfinals in a second consecutive tournament for the first time. Instead, the career on soccer's biggest stage is over for the all-time leader in international goals (146) and appearances (233).

Merino didn't enter until the 85th minute, and his heads-up play showed some of the versatility that helped Arsenal win its first Premier League title in more than 20 years this spring.

The World Cup was in doubt for Merino, who turned 30 during the tournament, after right foot surgery cut short his Arsenal season.

In the biggest moment of the year for Spain, there he was with fresh legs, finishing with his left foot into the left corner of the net. After emerging from a group hug with his teammates, Merino made a circle around the flag in a corner before letting out a guttural scream while clenching both fists.

That's how his father, Miguel Merino, celebrated more than three decades ago during his club career in Spain. And his son first emulated it after a late goal to beat host Germany to send Spain to the semifinals of the European championship two years ago.

This was Mikel Merino's first World Cup goal, and 11th for the national team.

“What better way to celebrate,” Merino said. “You remember all the good and the bad, and there have been difficult moments for me this year.”

The latest meeting of Iberian Peninsula rivals that first played in a friendly in Madrid 105 years ago was quite the contrast to their most recent World Cup match.

It was eight years ago that Ronaldo had his only World Cup hat trick in a 3-3 draw with Spain in a group stage opener that is considered one of the tournament's best games.

The 41-year-old superstar scored three times in this tournament, but didn't have many chances against Spain's Unai Simón, who extended his World Cup record to 609 minutes without conceding a goal. Spain became the first team to record six straight shutouts at the World Cup.

The best chance was Ronaldo's nifty backward kick in the 37th minute when Joao Felix’s header deflected off Simón’s left shoulder and popped in the air to Ronaldo. He flicked the ball with his right foot, but it was soft enough to give Simón time to recover and make a leaping grab.

“I’ll wake up tomorrow like I woke up today, with a clear conscience,” said Ronaldo, who a day earlier had repeated his previous declaration that his sixth World Cup would be his last. “I gave my best. I won three titles with Portugal. Before Cristiano, Portugal hadn’t won any title. So, I’m happy. The biggest title that I won with the national team was in 2016 (European Championship), which for me had the same dimension as a World Cup, honestly.”

Portugal desperately pushed for an equalizer in the final eight minutes of stoppage time. Silva had a header that went just over the top of the net.

The defensive struggle came just two days shy of a year since Portugal beat Spain in a riveting UEFA Nations League final that went to penalty kicks following a 2-2 draw.

The other World Cup meeting was Spain's 1-0 victory — also in the round of 16 — when La Roja won the title in South Africa.

“It was a great match. Two superb teams,” de la Fuente said. “As we had said it, it was like an anticipated final. As it was expected, we had to suffer until the very end.”

Until Spain didn't have to suffer anymore — thanks to its super sub.

See more of AP’s World Cup coverage here

Spain's Mikel Merino (6) celebrates scoring his side's opening goal during the World Cup round of 16 soccer match between Portugal and Spain in Arlington, Texas, near Dallas, Monday, July 6, 2026. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez)

Portugal's Cristiano Ronaldo (7) shoots against Spain goalkeeper Unai Simon (23) during the World Cup round of 16 soccer match in Arlington, Texas, near Dallas, Monday, July 6, 2026. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)

Spain's Mikel Merino (6) scores the opening goal as Portugal goalkeeper Diogo Costa (1) tries to stop him during the World Cup round of 16 soccer match between Portugal and Spain in Arlington, Texas, near Dallas, Monday, July 6, 2026. (AP Photo/Jessica Tobias)

Spain's Pedro Porro (12) and Portugal's Cristiano Ronaldo (7) react after Spain defeated Portugal in the World Cup round of 16 soccer match in Arlington, Texas, near Dallas, Monday, July 6, 2026. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)

Portugal's Cristiano Ronaldo (7) reacts after the World Cup round of 16 soccer match between Portugal and Spain in Arlington, Texas, near Dallas, Monday, July 6, 2026. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez)

Spain's Mikel Merino (6) celebrates after scoring the opening goal during the World Cup round of 16 soccer match between Portugal and Spain in Arlington, Texas, near Dallas, Monday, July 6, 2026. (AP Photo/Jessica Tobias)

Spain's Mikel Merino (6) celebrates scoring their first goal during the World Cup round of 16 soccer match between Portugal and Spain in Arlington, Texas, near Dallas, Monday, July 6, 2026. (AP Photo/Sam Hodde)

Spain celebrates their first goal during the World Cup round of 16 soccer match against Portugal in Arlington, Texas, near Dallas, Monday, July 6, 2026. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)

Spain's Lamine Yamal (19) celebrates after Spain's Mikel Merino (6) scored their first goal during the World Cup round of 16 soccer match between Portugal and Spain in Arlington, Texas, near Dallas, Monday, July 6, 2026. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)

Spain's Pedro Porro, top, congrats Spain's Mikel Merino, right, after scored during the World Cup round of 16 soccer match between Portugal and Spain in Arlington, Texas, near Dallas, Monday, July 6, 2026. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez)

Hurricane Lala weakened to a tropical storm on Sunday after its eyewall skirted Hawaii without making landfall. But it continued to punish the state with hurricane-force gusts and pounding rain, reaching a total of nearly three feet (one meter) in places and sending raging torrents down mountain slopes.

A search-and-rescue mission including Civil Defense, the National Guard and a Coast Guard helicopter was launched after flash floods apparently swept several occupied homes off their foundations in the coastal communities of Na’alehu and Wai’ohinu, near the Big Island's southern tip, authorities said.

“What makes this very challenging is that there’s rushing water, there’s debris, and there’s boulders on the road and it’s dark,” Hawaii County Mayor Kimo Alameda said early Sunday.

At least one person died in a vehicle wreck in the South Point area of the Big Island, Gov. Josh Green said Saturday.

Honolulu was bearing the brunt of Sunday morning’s weather as tropical storm conditions spread westward across the island chain. The Honolulu Fire Department had launched dozens of weather-related responses by 2 a.m. local time Sunday, including 58 reports of downed trees, 39 blown roofs, 12 downed power lines, 12 arcing-wire situations and one swimmer rescue, according to a statement from the city.

Much of the state remained under a flash flood warning, though the National Hurricane Center downgraded the Big Island to a flood advisory lSunday. Heavy rain, mudslides, downed trees, active flooding and downed power lines were among the biggest threats, weather service meteorologist Stephen Parker said.

“Basically, the best thing to do right now is just stay home for a bit longer,” he said. “The storm won’t last forever and once those kind of threats get cleaned up, it will be safe to be out and about again.”

More than 200,000 homes and businesses were without power by 10:30 a.m. local time, according to the utility tracker poweroutage.us. That included nearly two-thirds of the power customers on the Big Island. At least three hospitals were operating on generator power, the governor said.

Powerful waves pounded the Big Island’s coast as Lala slowly brushed by. Just missing landfall, the eyewall didn't weaken, and its winds pounded the mountainsides. Waterways swelled with fast-moving runoff as bands of rain blew nearly sideways. The storm struck three years to the month after the state experienced the deadliest wildfire in the U.S. in more than a century.

Tropical storm warnings were in effect for the islands of Maui, Molokai, Lanai, Kahoolawe, Oahu, Kauai and Niihau, raising the possibility of destructive flooding and even wildfires kicked up by strong winds on the drier sides of the islands.

The heaviest rain Sunday morning was falling on Lanai, Moloka’i and Oahu, while the highest winds were gusts over 100 mph (161 kph) at the towering Mauna Kea volcano on the Big Island, Parker said.

As of 11 a.m. in Hawaii, Lala was centered about 140 miles (220 kilometers) west of Honolulu with top sustained winds of 65 mph (100 kph), the U.S. National Hurricane Center said in its latest advisory. The storm was moving west-northwest at about 16 mph (28 kph).

The advisory said little change in storm intensity is expected through Monday and forecasters expect Lala could become a hurricane again on Tuesday or Wednesday well west of the island chain.

Some higher-altitude places on the Big Island, dominated by Mauna Kea, have been hit with as much as 35 inches (89 centimeters) of rain. That's enough to loosen steep slopes where some of the 210,000 islanders live off the grid in improvised housing.

As the hurricane approached, shelters were opened, events were canceled and ranchers were urged to leave their cattle in pastures rather than structures that might collapse. Many residents are still dealing with the aftermath of devastating floods in March and were taking precautions.

The beloved Punalu’u Bake Shop on in Naalehu, Big Island, a tourist hotspot and major local employer, was severely damaged. Zachary Kennedy, the manager of the Hawaiian sweet bread bakery, said water rushed through their factories and retail store, leaving behind around three feet (1 meter) of mud.

“This is a different level of damage, it’s literally catastrophic,” Kennedy said.

Kate McLellan, a resident on Oahu’s North Shore, was still waiting for the worst of the storm to strike after her power went out Sunday morning. She was glued to the weather network, monitoring Lala's progress.

In March and April, her community was hit by back-to-back storms moving so slowly that weeks of heavy rain and high winds kept residents on high alert. Memories of that storm were "giving that same uncertainty and hesitation and panic and anxiety,” McLellan said.

The state’s preparation and communication during the storm has been better than in the past, she said. Before the storm hit, she spotted crews trimming trees near power lines and digging out passages for streams leading to the ocean.

Associated Press writers Jennifer Sinco Kelleher, Alexa St. John and Ed White contributed.

Schuettler is a corps member for The Associated Press/Report for America Statehouse News Initiative. Report for America is a nonprofit national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on undercovered issues.

A downed tree rests on a vehicle due to the passing of Hurricane Lala in Hilo, Hawaii, Sunday, Aug. 16, 2026. (Stephen Lam/San Francisco Chronicle via AP)

This photo released by the Hawaii Department of Transportation shows damage along a roadway on the eastern edge of Hawaii's Big Island from Hurricane Lala, Saturday, Aug. 15, 2026. (Hawaii Department of Transportation via AP)

A road is flooded due to Hurricane Lala in Hilo, Hawaii, Sunday, Aug. 16, 2026. (Stephen Lam/San Francisco Chronicle via AP)

This NOAA satellite image taken at 3:50 PM ET (EDT) on Sunday, Aug. 16, 2026, shows Tropical Storm Lala over Hawaii. (NOAA via AP)

The entrance to Pu'uhonua O Honaunau National Historical Park, temporarily closed due to Hurricane Lala, is seen in Honaunau-Napoopoo, Hawaii, Saturday, Aug. 15, 2026. (Stephen Lam/San Francisco Chronicle via AP)

This satellite image released by NOAA shows Tropical Storm Lala over the Pacific Ocean, near Hawaii, Saturday, Aug. 15, 2026. (NOAA via AP)

A resident carries supplies to a vehicle during Hurricane Lala in Hawaiian Ocean View, Hawaii, Saturday, Aug. 15, 2026. (Stephen Lam/San Francisco Chronicle via AP)

A vehicle drives near a downed utility pole dangling above Mamalahoa Highway during Hurricane Lala near Ocean View, Hawaii, Saturday, Aug. 15, 2026. (Stephen Lam/San Francisco Chronicle via AP)

A view of the rising water levels at the Wainaku Street Bridge in Hilo on the Big Island of Hawaii, Saturday, Aug. 15, 2026. (Taylor Cozloff/Civil Beat via AP)

A resident carries supplies during Hurricane Lala in Hawaiian Ocean View, Hawaii, Saturday, Aug. 15, 2026. (Stephen Lam/San Francisco Chronicle via AP)