Oyarzabal admits he prefers Portugal as Spain awaits last-16 rival

Mikel Oyarzabal’s two goals against Austria pushed Spain into the World Cup 2026 last 16 in Los Angeles and left La Roja waiting on the winner of Portugal-Croatia in Toronto. When asked which opponent he preferred, Oyarzabal tilted toward Portugal, a choice that reflected the very different kind of test Spain would face if Cristiano Ronaldo, rather than Luka Modric, stood in the other dugout.

Spain’s win over Austria was built on Oyarzabal’s brace and Pedro Porro’s goal, enough to settle the tie and confirm Luis de la Fuente’s side in the next round. The bracket now points toward a showdown that carries more than routine knockout stakes: Portugal and Croatia were playing for the right to face Spain, and the loser would leave the tournament with the added weight of a possible final World Cup appearance for one of two modern greats.

Ronaldo and Modric shared six seasons together at Real Madrid, and the possibility of meeting again on the international stage has given the matchup a rare historical edge. If Portugal advanced, Spain would be preparing for Ronaldo’s finishing, his direct threat in the area and the faster, more vertical rhythm that Portugal can bring around him. If Croatia advanced, the challenge would look different: a more controlled, more patient contest shaped by Modric’s ability to manage tempo and draw Spain into a slower, more intricate game.

Oyarzabal’s standing makes the timing more notable. He scored the decisive goal in the Euro 2024 final against England in Berlin, the 86th-minute strike that gave Spain its fourth continental title, and that kind of delivery has kept him among the names listed in early World Cup Golden Boot conversations. Spain now carry that attacking certainty into a knockout path that could force them to solve either a Ronaldo-led Portugal or a Modric-led Croatia, with only one of those icons likely to survive the round.