Portugal 3-3 Spain: World Cup – as it happened (2024)

Diego Costa scores a brilliant equaliser!

22 min What a chance for Guedes! Portugal broke from the Spain corner and should have made it 2-0. Fernandes on the right curled a brilliant pass around the defence to Ronaldo, who eschewed the expected shot and instead flicked the ball deliciously into the path of Guedes. He should have shot first time but took a touch and was dispossessed vitally by Alba. Ronaldo throws his hands up in disgust.

21 min Beautiful play from Iniesta. He scoots into the box from the left, sends a defender off to a different postcode and then eases the ball back to David Silva. His shot is deflected behind for a corner.

20 min “Three more international goals from Ronaldo and he’ll overtakes Puskas (currently on 84) as the highest scoring European international in history,” notes Mike Gibbons. “He might never catch Ali Daei who has the world record (with 109), but bloody hell.”

It fascinates me that maybe 90 per cent of football fans still think Messi is the best player.

18 min The free-kick is 20 yards from goal, in line with the right edge of the box. Ronaldo batters it into the wall.

17 min Busquets is booked for a lunge at Guedes.

16 min Spain are having all of the ball now, though Portugal – as we saw two years ago – are very well organised defensively. And they know how to break: a beautiful touch from Ronaldo in his own half releases Guedes, who can’t decide whether to go it alone or try too play it back to Ronaldo. In end he does neither.

13 min Spain are starting to look a little sharper, with Isco winning their first corner. Nothing comes of it but the signs are better.

12 min “Looked to me,” says Dave Ankers, “that Ronaldo was already diving before the contact.”

I thought he made certain of the contact but that it was a foul nonetheless.

11 min An early goal is perfect for Portugal, who can sit and play on the break. Ronaldo, incidentally, has now scored at four World Cups. He’ll make it five in 2022.

10 min Spain’s first chance. Isco’s left-wing cross is knocked down by Costa to Silva, who lashes the bouncing ball over the bar with his right foot. He slipped in the act of shooting, which may be why the finish was unusually imprecise.

9 min Spain look half asleep at the moment. As Andrew Hurley highlighted earlier, there is a real lack of pace in their team.

7 min Oh, Spain.

6 min “I was a big fan of Spain and Spanish football back when they were enthusiastic underachievers, before tiki-taka made them the hipster’s choice (always hated Pep, though, but that’s for another time...),” says Matt Dony. “Now that flush of popularity has passed, I should be able to enjoy supporting them without the self-conscious concern about looking like just another band-wagon jumper. And yet. And yet. I have to be honest, Ramos has just undermined it all in the Champions League final. Not just the Salah incident, it was the whole shebang. The little look before the dive that lead to Mane’s booking was particularly sly. I mean, I know he’s always been the same, but I was able to appreciate his commitment to the ‘dark arts of defending’ (as we’re obligated to describe it) with a cool detachment in the past. It might be the result of being a one-eyed Liverpool fan, but that game was a turning point in the way I see Spanish football. What I’m trying to say is, ‘Go on, Ronaldo.’ I’m throwing my support firmly behind Portugal. Which I’m sure they will greatly appreciate.”

I always think football is better for having a villain who leaves opposition fans foaming with impotent rage. Though I did briefly change this view while flinging all sorts at Vinnie Jones when he celebrated in front of the United fans at Selhurst Park in 1997.

Goodness me, what a start. De Gea tried to put Ronaldo off but it didn’t work. Ronaldo ignored him and slapped a penalty into the right side of the net with De Gea going the wrong way.

It’s Ronaldo v De Gea - and Ronaldo scores!

See Also

Portugal 3-3 Spain: Cristiano Ronaldo's first World Cup hat-trick secures draw

Ronaldo ran at Nacho on the left edge of the box, beating him with a stepover. Nacho dangled a leg absent-mindedly and brought him down.

3 min It’s been a decent start from Portugal, with Carvalho having a lot of touches in midfield - and now they have a penalty!

2 min “Here’s what’s going to happen,” says Olly Wicks. “Spain will win comfortably and cruise to first place in their group. Meanwhile, Egypt will beat Russia and the Saudis and finish second in their group. This means we get a Spain v Egypt last 16 game, in which Salah nutmegs Ramos to score a 95th minute winner and take sweet, sweet revenge. From Olly, a completely unbiased Liverpool fan.”

Imagine if Ramos put him out of the World Cup with a sly suplex.

1 min Peep peep! Spain, in white, kick off. Portugal are in red.

Ronaldo and Sergio Ramos shake hands in the centre circle. It’s time for the first humdinger of Russia 2018.

Ronaldo “The Wheels of Justice picked up sudden speed early today in Spain,” says Luiz. “Ronaldo got himself a suspended two-year sentence and a huge fine. The good judge could have waited for Monday morning. Ronaldo, according to the Portuguese press, is all upset, mainly, for parting with his hard-earned money. What you think? Is it going to demoralise CR or put him in a killer mood?”

I’m not sure two broken legs could demoralise Ronaldo, who is one of the mentally toughest footballers I’ve ever seen. I’d be reluctant to give him any additional motivation.

“I’ve noticed Iniesta holding onto the ball a bit too much this year and not releasing it as fast as he usually would, as if trying to convince himself and others that he’s still at that level,” says Paul Fitzgerald. “But Barca conceded a goal to Roma through him getting dispossessed and he struggles around the 70min mark these days.”

Stop press!

Here are our match reports from today’s thrillers:

• Egypt 0-1 Uruguay
  
• Morocco 0-1 Iran
  

Some pre-match reading

• Ramos urges Spain to ignore upheaval before Portugal clash
  
• Real accuse Spain of ‘absurd reaction’ over Lopetegui
  
• Sid Lowe: Anger and ethics at heart of Spain’s decision
  

An email! “I’m a huge fan of both but even if still at a very high level, aren’t David Silva and Iniesta on the way down (more so the latter)?” says Andrew Hurley. “Forget about the coach, I think this will hurt Spain more...”

I thought David Silva was majestic last season, though his central role at City probably suits him better at his age. Iniesta is past his best but he’s still influential enough. I know what you mean though - it’s a pretty old team, with nobody under the age of 26 in the starting XI. As ever with Spanish football, they could learn a lot from England.

Your pre-match task ... is to pick your all-time World Cup XI for Spain and/or Portugal.

If you need some inspiration, or you just want to copy a legend, you can look at the teams picked by Iker Casillas and Paulo Futre. WHERE THE HELL IS ALBERT FERRER?

Portugal (4-4-2) Patricio; Soares, Pepe, Fonte, Guerreiro; Silva, Carvalho, Moutinho, B Fernandes; Guedes, Ronaldo.

Spain (4-2-3-1) De Gea; Nacho, Pique, Ramos, Alba; Busquets, Koke; Silva, Isco, Iniesta; Costa.

Referee Gianluca Rocchi (Italy)

In the other Group B match, Iran have snatched a famous victory over Morocco. Barry Glendenning can tell you more.

In the Little Book of How To Win a World Cup, there is no mention of sacking your coach 24 hours before the tournament starts. But we shouldn’t write Spain off just yet. From Helmut Schön’s breakdown in 1974 to Calciopoli in 2006, the majority of World Cup winners have overcome chaos, scandal and/or a slew of negativity on the way to lifting that magical hunk of gold.

If there’s one dressing-room that should be self-governing, it’s Spain’s. Their squad have won almost 300 trophies between them, so they don’t need that much guidance. As we’re accentuating the positive here, let’s say they also have the perfect opening game to concentrate their minds: an Iberian derby against Portugal, the European champions, and their old friend Cristiano Ronaldo. It’s quite a game to have so early in the tournament.

Most will think it’s a cosmetic match - that, even if one side loses, they will still qualify for the second round ahead of Morocco and Iran. But we thought something similar before the first games in 2014, when Spain faced the Netherlands and Portugal met Germany. Both were plugged by four goals and never recovered.

Then again, in 2010 Spain lost their first game and won the tournament. The departure of Julen Lopetegui, sacked for disrespecting the Bing Spanish FA, has reinforced the sense that nobody really has a clue what’s going to happen this time. Which is just the way we like it at a World Cup.

Kick off is at 7pm BST, 9pm in Sochi.