World Cup 2018: Portugal vs. Spain schedule, how to watch live

Mike DeCourcy

World Cup 2018: Portugal vs. Spain schedule, how to watch live image

One of the soccer world’s great rivalries will be among the opening matches of the 2018 World Cup, with European powers Spain and Portugal meeting in an essential Group B game.

They haven’t played since a 0-0 draw in the 2012 European Championship that Spain won on penalties, 4-2.

The game will put club teammates on opposite sides, most notably three-time Champions League winners Sergio Ramos of Spain and Cristiano Ronaldo of Portugal, who went the distance last month as Real Madrid defended its European Cup title with a 3-1 victory over Liverpool.

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Don’t expect Sergio Ramos, who took shots at LFC’s Mohamed Salah and Loris Karius in that game, to mess with his gifted club teammate even in a rivalry as heated as this can be.

World Cup schedule: Portugal vs. Spain

When: Friday, June 15, 2:00 p.m. ET
Where: Sochi, Russia, Fisht Stadium

MORE: Full World Cup schedule

Portugal vs. Spain TV channel, live stream

In the U.S., Portugal vs. Spain will be broadcast live on Fox. It can also be live-streamed on fuboTV (7-day free trial).

Portugal Roster

Goalkeepers: Beto, Rui Patricio, Anthony Lopes

Defenders: Bruno Alves, Pepe, Cedric, Eliseu, Jose Fonte, Mario Rui, Raphael Guerreiro, Ruben Dias, Ricardo Pereira

Midfielders: Joao Moutinho, Joao Mario, Bernardo Silva, William Carvalho,  Adrien Silva, Bruno Fernandes, Manuel Fernandes

Forwards: Cristiano Ronaldo, Andre Silva, Goncalo Guedes, Gelson Martins, Ricardo Quaresma

MORE: Group-by-group analysis

Spain Roster

Goalkeepers: Kepa Arrizabalaga, David De Gea, Pepe Reina

Defenders: Cesar Azpilicueta, Dani Carvajal, Jordi Alba, Nacho, Nacho Monreal, Alvaro Odriozola, Gerard Pique, Sergio Ramos

Midfielders: Isco, Thiago Alcantara, Sergio Busquets, David Silva, Andres Iniesta, Saul Niguez, Koke 

Forwards: Marco Asensio, Iago Aspas, Diego Costa, Rodrigo, Lucas Vazquez

Portugal vs. Spain facts

  • This is one of the few first-round matches that comes with a ready-made nickname: The Iberian Derby.
  • As close as they are geographically, they have played 38 times, with Spain winning 18, Portugal 12 and six games ending in a draw. By comparison, the USA and Mexico have played 68 times,
  • Portugal and Spain have played eight times in major competitions, only once before in the World Cup: when Spain earned a 1-0 victory in the 2010 round of 16, the goal scored by David Villa (currently of NYCFC in MLS).
  • Spain is one of seven former World Cup winners in the 2018 field. Six players remain from the roster of the 2010 champions: Reina, Pique, Sergio Ramos, Busquets, Silva, Iniesta.
  • Portugal is the reigning European champion, having won the Euro 2016 on a goal by Eder against France in extra time.
  • Eder was excluded from the Portugal roster after a poor season for Lokomotiv Moscow that included only four goals. Coach Fernando Santos also left off Nani, the former Manchester United winger who spent last season at Lazio in Italy’s Serie A. Nani ranked No. 3 all-time in caps for Portugal. "From a human perspective, it's very hard to discard players who were with us at Euro 2016," Santos said. "They have all contributed to writing a brilliant chapter in the history of Portuguese football. But I had to make choices that for me make a better puzzle."
  • Portugal’s best World Cup finish was in 1966, when it finished third after losing a semifinal to England, 2-1. The star of that Portugal team was the great Eusebio, who scored 41 goals in 64 appearances for his national team. There is a statue of Eusebio in Ludlow, Mass.; it previously stood outside Gillette Stadium, the home of the New England Revolution.
  • Cristiano Ronaldo stands No. 3 on the all-time list of international goal scorers, with 81 in 149 games. The next closest active player is Argentina’s Lionel Messi, who has 64. Ronaldo also is tied for 22nd all-time caps, two behind Spain’s Sergio Ramos, who is tied for 19th. Sergio Ramos could pass American Landon Donovan (and Estonia’s Martin Reim) into a tie for 12th if Spain reaches the final and he plays all seven games.
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Mike DeCourcy

Mike DeCourcy Photo

Mike DeCourcy has been the college basketball columnist at The Sporting News since 1995. Starting with newspapers in Pittsburgh, Memphis and Cincinnati, he has written about the game for 35 years and covered 32 Final Fours. He is a member of the United States Basketball Writers Hall of Fame and is a studio analyst at the Big Ten Network and NCAA Tournament Bracket analyst for Fox Sports. He also writes frequently for TSN about soccer and the NFL. Mike was born in Pittsburgh, raised there during the City of Champions decade and graduated from Point Park University.