Roberto Martínez and Nestor Lorenzo agreed on this The World Cup is won step by step, Match by match. There’s no point in making long-term plans, no matter how much you predict the ins and outs of the World Cup draw. And yet, in this Colombia – Portugal Which will be played in Miami tonight (1:30 pm in Spain), There’s more at stake than finishing first in the group: not facing Spain in the hypothetical round of 16.
Baena and Pedro Neto, in the last Spain vs Portugal.EFE.
The situation is clear: Spain, already in first place in the group, will play next on July 2 at 9:00 p.m. Peninsular Time in Inglewood, California. Their opponent in the 1/16 will come from Algeria vs Austria which will take place this Saturday. A few hours earlier, Colombia vs Portugal will be played in Miami to decide which team will advance in Group K. Colombia need a draw to stay in the lead and move into the ‘southern’ part of the table; Portugal needs to win. Whoever finishes second could face Spain in the round of 16 in Dallas… after beating Ghana or Croatia in the 1/16.
Table of 1/16 finals and round of 16.Mark.
“I think you have to understand how you can get to a World Cup final. You have to take it step by step. There is no easy path or situation in a tournament like the World Cup. The important thing is to go to the next game in the best possible way, and you can only achieve that by winning,” he analyzed. roberto martinez Without even considering a hypothetical ‘national derby’ against Spain in the round of 16, before facing Colombia.
There is no easy path or situation in a tournament like the World Cup.
roberto martinez
Meanwhile, Nestor Lorenzo doesn’t ‘cover up’: he knows being first can be pretentious A more economical path…despite facing world champions Argentina in a potential quarterfinal: “We all speculate, we think… but we think we know what’s best for us. Portugal is an opponent you want to fight as far as possible, and now it’s our turn. “We hope to play a great game and win the group.”
We think we know what’s best for us
Nestor Lorenzo
Spain’s XI against Uruguay.lapresse
nation, very recent
The ‘Iberian derby’ has already become somewhat common. The final conflict is, in fact, about the ultimate conflict: that of nations. Portugal won in the penalty shootout. Four other games before this, in Russia 2018, the last World Cup duel: 3–3 with a hat-trick from Cristiano Ronaldo in the group stage. This duel, if it happens now in July 2026, will be ‘Mata-Mata’. life or death.
However, as with Colombia, ‘La Roja’ clashes are much more sporadic: four friendlies in the last 40 years. The most recent, in 2024, in London, resulted in a 0–1 win in favor of the coffee growers thanks to a goal from winger Daniel Muñoz. In fact, that loss was the last before a streak of 34 games without a loss, which de la Fuente’s team still maintains.