Madrid World Cup Spotlight: Marc Cucurella and Thibaut Courtois progress; Bernardo Silva returns home | OneFootball

Real Madrid had yet another mixed day of representation at the 2026 FIFA World Cup, with some players progressing to the next round and others returning home.

Spain played Portugal in the first game of the night, in what was anticipated to be a top-billing clash between the two neighbouring nations.

Both teams had their fair share of chances in the first half, but Portugal chose to sit deep in the second and let La Roja gain total control of the game.

Defensively, Spain looked unbeatable, and offensively, Ferran Torres and Mikel Merino combined to score the goal that took them past Portugal.

Belgium faced the USA in the second game of the night and saved their best performance so far for the round-of-16 game against the hosts.

Having reached this stage by narrowly beating Senegal, they played Mauricio Pochettino’s side off the park in an incredible display.

From a Madrid perspective, Marc Cucurella for Spain and Thibaut Courtois for Belgium reached the next round, while Bernardo Silva with Portugal will be returning home.

Here is how the trio fared on the night.

Marc Cucurella vs Portugal

Cucurella was solid against Portugal. (Photo by Lars Baron/Getty Images)

Marc Cucurella moved on with Spain after a tense 1-0 win over Portugal.

Cucurella’s performance was not one of his loudest of the tournament, but it was another mature knockout display.

From a Madrid perspective, that is the kind of reliability that matters at this stage.

Cucurella did not need to dominate the game going forward. Spain needed him to defend, keep the left side stable and survive Portugal’s late push.

He did that well enough. This was a match of small margins, and Cucurella’s value came through concentration rather than spectacle.

Spain have now moved into the quarter-finals, and he remains part of a defence that looks increasingly difficult to break.

Bernardo Silva vs Spain

Bernardo’s night was much more painful.

Bernardo Silva had a horrific night. (Photo by Dan Mullan/Getty Images)

He started on the bench again, came on as Portugal chased the game, picked up a yellow card shortly after entering, and then missed a huge stoppage-time chance to equalise with a header that went over.

Bernardo is a player built for control, pauses and clever choices, but this match threw him into chaos. Portugal needed one clean final action, and the chance fell to him.

That miss should not define his quality, but it will define his World Cup ending.

Knockout football is ruthless like that. Bernardo had the ball, the moment and the space, but not the finish.

Thibaut Courtois vs the USA

Salvation time for Belgium and Courtois. (Photo by Alex Grimm/Getty Images)

Courtois had the most comfortable result of the three, even if Belgium’s win over the USA was not a perfect defensive performance.

The Americans equalised through Malik Tillman, but Belgium responded almost immediately and eventually ran out 4-1 winners.

This was not a classic Courtois rescue act. Belgium’s attackers and the USA’s defensive mistakes shaped the result more than any goalkeeping masterclass.

The best part for the Belgian goalkeeper, though, is that he has progressed to the next round without any drama.

Overall, it was a mixed but important Madrid day. Cucurella stayed solid and progressed, Bernardo exited with regret, and Courtois moved into the quarter-finals with Belgium.