🗞️ World press hails the MERINAZO that sends Spain into the last eight | OneFootball

The world sports press has woken up stunned after a historic day at the 2026 World Cup, marked by Spain’s epic qualification at the very last gasp, the definitive farewell of a legend of the game, and an unprecedented institutional storm that mixes football with the offices of the White House.

The 'Merinazo' sends Cristiano Ronaldo into retirement in tears

Front pages across the Spanish and international press are unanimous in surrendering to the outcome of the Iberian clash. Spanish newspapers celebrate with euphoria Mikel Merino’s dramatic 91st-minute winner, a monumental header from a Ferran Torres cross that sent Spain into the quarter-finals (0-1).

While joy reigns in Spain, on the other side of the border sadness and disappointment take center stage. Portuguese newspapers highlight the end of Cristiano Ronaldo and the rise of young Lamine Yamal.

The tears of the Portuguese star in his sixth and final World Cup lead global newscasts, confirming the end of a golden era that also prompted the immediate resignation of head coach Roberto Martínez.

Belgium abruptly ends the United States dream

The co-hosts’ run ended in painful disappointment. The American press reflects the harsh blow on the pitch with brutal honesty.

The Washington Post runs the blunt headline "Down and out" after a match decided by the hosts’ defensive mistakes, while the New York Post goes with the pun "Uncle Scram!" to describe the end of their World Cup run as “pathetic.”

The emphatic 1-4 handed out by a solid and deadly Belgium side in Seattle completely extinguished the Stars and Stripes’ hopes, as they crashed out without reply in the round of 16.

Outrage and a "red card" for FIFA over the 'Balogun case'

The day’s biggest controversy goes far beyond sport and directly stains the institutional integrity of the tournament. German newspaper Bild leads with extreme harshness against the FIFA president: "The man who sold our football," accusing Gianni Infantino of acting like a "lackey" of the White House.

For its part, L'Équipe goes with the emphatic headline "Carton Rouge" (Red card) to describe as disgraceful the amnesty granted to striker Folarin Balogun after he had been sent off in the previous match against Bosnia.

Confirmation from Donald Trump himself, admitting that he had directly pressured Infantino to lift the suspension, has unleashed global outrage and a revolt within UEFA over what they see as a blatant corruption of the competition.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇪🇸 here.

📸 THOMAS COEX - AFP or licensors