Spain substitute Mikel Merino broke through a stubborn Portugal defence in the 91st minute to earn his side a 1-0 win on Monday and take theme into the quarter-finals, bringing the curtain down on Cristiano Ronaldo's World Cup career.

The midfielder scored six minutes after coming off the bench to take the European champions into the last eight, prevailing where his teammates had been frustrated throughout by a determined and resilient Portuguese backline.