The oldest rivalry in Iberian football is back on stage. Spain and Portugal face each other this Tuesday in the round of 16 of the World Cup with a single objective: to stay alive in the fight for the title and reach the quarterfinals where the winner of the match between United States and Belgium awaits.
The match, one of the most attractive of the first knockout round of the championship, will pit two teams destined to fight for the title and with recognizable styles. Luis de la Fuente's Spain, which showed a great image during the group stage, will seek to impose its possession and high-pressing football against a Portugal that combines the leadership of Cristiano Ronaldo with a generation of enormously talented footballers.
Politics also plays in the Iberian derby
The anticipation for the match has transcended the sporting sphere and has also reached politics. The Minister of Foreign Affairs, José Manuel Albares, wanted to send a message of encouragement to the Spanish team, although without renouncing the cordial tone that characterizes the relations between the two countries.
"Iberian cooperation is always a winner. But today, during the match, we take a break: with La Roja and for their victory!", wrote the head of Spanish diplomacy on social network X, addressing his Portuguese counterpart, Paulo Rangel, directly, with whom he maintains a close institutional relationship.
¡Vamos @SEFutbol! #VamosEspaña
— José Manuel Albares (@jmalbares) July 6, 2026
Querido @PauloRangel_pt la cooperación iberica siempre es ganadora. Pero hoy, durante el partido, hacemos un paréntesis : ¡con la Roja y a por su victoria!#CopaMundialFIFA
The Minister of the Presidency, Justice and Relations with the Cortes, Félix Bolaños, has also joined the pre-match buzz with a message published on social media under the slogan "May the best team win." In a reel with his Portuguese counterpart, Rita Alarcão, Bolaños highlighted the joint work they are carrying out in organizing the 2030 World Cup that both countries are organizing with Morocco, but he pointed out that the call was not about that, nor about justice, but about something "a little more important": the round of 16 clash.
The publication, with a clear ironic tone, shows the two ministers sharing good wishes, although both are rooting for their respective teams. "In 2030 we will play on the same team again," Alarcão stated.