Portugal vs. Spain

Group B, Fisht Olympic Stadium, Sochi

Portugal and Spain clash in one of the more intriguing matches of the group stage; the winner will have the inside track to finishing atop Group B, which also includes underdogs Iran and Morocco. The Iberian Peninsula rivals have faced off 35 times dating back to 1934, but Friday will mark only their second meeting in the World Cup. In 2010, Spain shut out Portugal, 1-0, on a David Villa goal in the Round of 16 en route to winning the championship in South Africa.

Portgual, led by Cristiano Ronaldo, is the reigning European champions. Spain features a number of aging and accomplished players in Sergio Ramos, Gerard Pique and Andres Iniesta, as well as a new coach. Fernando Hierro, a former player for the Spanish national team and Real Madrid, was named as Julen Lopetegui’s replacement after Lopetegui was fired two days before the tournament over his decision to take the head-coaching job at Real Madrid without informing the Spanish Football Federation.

“I’ve been near a ball for 30 years,” Hierro, who had been acting as Spain’s sports director, said ahead of his coaching debut.

When: Friday, June 15, 2 p.m. Eastern.

How to watch on TV: Fox.

How to stream online: Fox Sports and the Fox Soccer Match Pass apps and FOXSports.com.

How to watch in Spanish: Telemundo.

How to watch in Canada: Bell Media’s TSN and CTV networks, the TSN GO app and TSN.ca/live.

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Team profiles

Portugal

  • Last World Cup showing: Group stage, 2014.
  • Best finish: Third place, 1966.
  • Notable: The reigning European champions are looking to move past a disappointing 1-1-1 showing at the 2014 World Cup that ended in the group stage.
  • FIFA world ranking: 4. ELO world ranking: 6.

Spain

  • Last World Cup showing: Group stage, 2014.
  • Best finish: Champion, 2010.
  • Notable: La Furia Roja opened the 2014 World Cup with a 5-1 loss to the Netherlands and never recovered, failing to make it out of the group stage. They were playing extremely well under Lopetegui; how will they respond to Hierro?
  • FIFA world ranking: 10. ELO world ranking: 3.

Players to watch

Five-time Ballon d’Or award winner Cristiano Ronaldo turned 33 in February and is probably playing in his final World Cup. The Real Madrid forward, as well known for his abs as for his feet, helped Portugal to a fourth-place finish at the 2006 World Cup, but Portugal hasn’t sniffed the final in their two World Cup appearances since. For Spain, Ronaldo’s Real Madrid teammate, Isco, could be the key to a deep run in the tournament. In a March friendly, the 26-year-old midfielder, who will be making his World Cup debut, had a hat trick in a 6-1 win over Argentina.

What’s next

Portugal: vs. Morocco in Moscow, June 20.

Spain: vs. Iran in Kazan, June 20.

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