Ronaldo Ramos

The Iberian derby: Top five matches between Spain and Portugal

The Iberian derby is one of the oldest football rivalries in the world which dates back to December 19, 1921. However, the strained political relations between the two regions go way back to 1581 when King Henry of Portugal died without a legal heir which triggered a succession crisis. Thereafter, the two countries fought several times for colonial power till the early 19th century. This rivalry has transcended to football as well.

In the early years, Spain were the more successful side as they won all the first four matches. On January 10, 1928, Portugal managed to get their first draw in a friendly match in Lisbon. However, the Navigators had to wait for 26 years to win their first match against Spain. It was another friendly in Lisbon and Portugal registered a convincing 4-1 win.

The two teams have met 38 times with Spain winning 17 of those. Meanwhile, Portugal have won six while the rest have been drawn. Let us take a look at the five most interesting matches of this century-old rivalry.

Article continues below
Nuno Gomes Deco

2004 UEFA Euro: Spain 0-1 Portugal

Portugal coach Luiz Felipe Scolari brought in Cristiano Ronaldo for the must-win Group A clash with Spain. The forward was a substitute in the first two games and took the place of Simao Sabrosa on the left flank. Ronaldo was in mercurial form throughout the match and his footwork was widely appreciated. Although he created numerous goal-scoring opportunities, it was substitute Nuno Gomes who made the difference. It was a moment of magic when he buried a 20-yard shot beyond keeper Iker Casillas, after receiving a pass from Luis Figo. The defeat sent Spain crashing out of the tournament while Portugal advanced as group-toppers.

David Villa

2010 FIFA World Cup: Spain 1-0 Portugal

It was one of the most controversial matches in the 2010 World Cup as replays showed that David Villa's winner was scored from an offside position. When Xavi backheeled the pass towards Villa, the forward's left leg was in an offside position. However, the flag stayed down and the goal stood. Moreover, in the 89th minute, Ricardo Costa was shown red after Joan Capdevila went down clutching his face as if he was elbowed or punched. The Portugal players protested but their efforts went in vain. The loss in the Round of 16 sent Portugal packing while Spain went on to become world champions.

Ronaldo Ramos

Friendly: Portugal 4-0 Spain

Portugal exacted sweet revenge on their bitter rivals five months later when they beat them 4-0 in Lisbon in 2010. Jorge Carlos scored the opener while second-half strikes from Helder Postiga, an own-goal from Sergio Ramos, and Hugo Almeida sealed the victory for the hosts. It was one-way traffic throughout the match and midfielder Cesc Fabregas went on to apologise to the fans after the match.

"The truth is it's a match where we can't take anything positive. They played better than us, they had a lot of desire. Now we need to apologise to the fans and continue forward," he stated after the match.

Spain vs Argentina

2012 UEFA Euro: Portugal 0-0 Spain (2-4 p)

It was a nail-biting finish to the match as Spain edged out Portugal in Euro 2012 semifinal after winning in tiebreakers. Cesc Fabregas earned the plaudits as he scored the fifth shot to spark jubilation at the stands in Donetsk. Joao Moutinho and Bruno Alves missed for Portugal, while Cristiano Ronaldo's kick was wasted as he had saved himself for the last. Both teams looked out of tune in the 120 minutes and it was fitting that the match was decided in tiebreakers.

Ronaldo vs Spain World Cup 2018

2018 FIFA World Cup: Portugal 3-3 Spain

It was a one-man show in Sochi as Cristiano Ronaldo produced one of the greatest performances in World Cup history. Two goals in the first half and a dramatic late free-kick earned Portugal a draw which helped them eke out a point after going behind in the 58th minute. David de Gea gifted him the second goal with an uncharacteristic error that saw the ball slip between his gloves and into the net. While for the third, he stood ball-watching as the free-kick swerved inside the goal after flying over the wall. After this match, Ronaldo became the fourth player to score in four separate World Cups, joining Germans Miroslav Klose and Uwe Seeler and Brazil legend Pele.

Advertisement