Rodri, the star of the Spanish national team, stated that his side handled the match against Portugal perfectly, winning 1-0 and securing a spot in the quarter-finals of the 2026 World Cup. In post-match television comments, Rodri said: "We knew it was a match that required patience. Portugal is a dangerous team on the counter-attack, but I believe we read the game perfectly." The Spain midfielder praised his teammate Mikel Merino, who scored the winning goal, saying: "I salute Mikel Merino; it's not easy to come on in those minutes, but he returned to be decisive once again." Regarding the nature of the match, Rodri explained: "It was a game between two very similar teams, both wanting to dominate possession, and it was decided by a small detail, through a play in depth where we exploited the only space that appeared during the match." He concluded his remarks by stating: "We still have a lot of room for improvement. Now we need to rest well and regain our physical readiness, and most importantly, we must not feel satisfied with what we have achieved so far."