Kathmandu: Spain and Portugal, two old football rivals, will face each other in the Round of 16 of the 2026 World Cup on Tuesday at 00:45 AM NST. Both teams are hoping to reach the quarter finals.

Spain got here by beating Austria 3-0 while Portugal moved forward by defeating Croatia 2-1.

Coach Backs His Midfield

Before the big match Spain’s head coach, Luis de la Fuente, said he is confident in his team. He believes Spain currently has the best midfield in world football.

He even compared today’s players to Spain’s 2010 World Cup winning team which had stars like Xavi, Xabi Alonso, Sergio Busquets and Andres Iniesta.

“In my opinion, we have the best midfield in the world,” De la Fuente said. He praised players such as Rodri, Martin Zubimendi, Fabian Ruiz, Pedri, Dani Olmo, Mikel Merino, Alex Baena and Gavi, saying the current team is “almost at the same level” as the 2010 champions.

Pedri Leading the Way

Pedri has been one of the stars of Spain’s midfield in this tournament. The Barcelona player has made more passes in the final third than anyone else at the World Cup. He also leads all Spanish players in expected assists.

De la Fuente called him “a magician,” praising his vision, skill and the easy way he plays the game.

Portugal Still a Threat

Even though Spain feels confident, Portugal is not an easy opponent. Their midfield with Vitinha, Joao Neves and Bruno Fernandes, is seen as one of the best at the tournament.

Portugal also has experienced star Cristiano Ronaldo who scored his first ever World Cup knockout stage goal against Croatia. Although some people have criticized his recent performances, Spain’s Gavi says Ronaldo still deserves respect.

“Cristiano is one of the best players in history and he can make the difference at any moment,” Gavi said. He added that Spain needs to stay focused on its own game plan.

A History of Close Matches

Spain and Portugal have met five times before in major tournaments. Three of those matches ended in draws and each team has won once.

Their last World Cup meeting was an exciting 3-3 draw in 2018. In their last knockout meeting, at Euro 2012, the game ended 0-0 and Spain went through on penalties.

With strong midfields on both sides and Ronaldo hoping to shine again, Tuesday’s match is expected to be one of the best games of the World Cup knockout stage.