Spain record in World Cup knockout games: La Roja hope to stay hot after rocky journey since 2010 title
Spain record in World Cup knockout games: La Roja hope to stay hot after rocky journey since 2010 title originally appeared on The Sporting News.
Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
For all of its dominance on the world stage, Spain hasn’t been the most ruthless of sides in the latter stages of the World Cup.
La Roja have long been considered one of the world’s top sides, hoisting three European Championships and one World Cup since 2008.
And yet, in recent World Cup campaigns, the Spaniards have toiled — at least when compared to their glittering reputation. When Lamine Yamal and Co. take on Portugal in the Round of 16, they will be aiming to turn around a sordid run of form in the sport’s grandest competition.
With that, here’s what you need to know about La Roja’s record in World Cup knockout games.
2026 WORLD CUP HQ:Latest World Cup news | Full World Cup schedule | Buy World Cup tickets
Spain record in World Cup knockout games
Since the knockout stage was introduced for the first time in 1986, Spain has posted an 8-7 record in knockout stage contests. One of those wins and four of those losses were decided in penalty shootouts, while one win — the Spaniards’ decisive victory over Netherlands in the 2010 World Cup final — came to a conclusion in extra time.
All told, Spain has been a solid outfit in knockout contests. La Roja’s showings have tailed off in recent tournaments, however — prior to a win over Austria on Thursday, the Spaniards had been without a knockout stage win since its 2010 World Cup triumph.
MORE: History of the the Spain vs, Portugal rivalry
Spain record in World Cup knockouts games since 2010 title
| Year | Round | Opponent | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 | N/A | N/A | Eliminated in group stage |
| 2018 | Round of 16 | Russia | Russia 1, Spain 1 (Russia won 3-1 on penalties) |
| 2022 | Round of 16 | Morocco | Morocco 0, Spain 0 (Morocco won 3-0 on penalties) |
| 2026 | Round of 16 | Austria, Portugal | Spain 3, Austria 0 |
The Spaniards have failed to escape the Round of 16 in each of their last three trips to the World Cup, falling out of the group stage in 2014 and suffering penalty shootout defeats to Russia and Morocco in the 2018 and 2022 tournament, respectively. De La Fuente’s squad brought its ignominious run in knockout stage games to a close with a dominant 3-0 win over Austria in the Round of 32. But that Round of 16 spell still remains, set to be put to the test in a matchup with Portugal on July 6.
MORE: Is Cristiano Ronaldo retiring?
When is Spain-Portugal Round of 16 game?
- Date: Monday, July 6
- Kickoff: 3 p.m. ET
Spain and Portugal’s Round of 16 tilt will kick off at 3 p.m ET on July 6. The match will be played at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas.
