ARLINGTON, Texas (AP):Mikel Merino scored in the first minute of second-half stoppage time, and Spain beat Portugal 1-0 yesterday to end the World Cup career of superstar Cristiano Ronaldo.Merino had just been knocked down, and a foul was called. While Portugal’s Bernardo Silva argued, Merino played the ball back in, ran towards the goal and easily beat goalkeeper Diogo Costa after taking a pass from Ferran Torres.Spain advanced to the quarter-finals for the first time since winning their only World Cup title in 2010. Ronaldo was trying to get Portugal to the quarter-finals in a second consecutive tournament for the first time. Instead, the career on football’s biggest stage is over for the all-time leader in international goals (146) and appearances (233).Merino didn’t enter until the 85th minute, and his heads-up play showed some of the versatility that helped Arsenal win their first Premier League title in more than 20 years this spring. He had been doubtful to make Spain’s squad because of injuries that also impacted his Premier League season.The latest meeting of Iberian Peninsula rivals that first played in a friendly in Madrid 105 years ago was quite the contrast to their most recent World Cup match.It was eight years ago that Ronaldo had his only World Cup hat-trick in a 3-3 draw with Spain in a group-stage opener that is considered one of the tournament’s best games.The 41-year-old superstar scored three times in this tournament, but didn’t have many chances against Spain’s Unai Simón, who extended his World Cup record to 609 minutes without conceding a goal. Spain became the first team to record six straight shut-outs at the World Cup.The best chance was Ronaldo’s nifty backward kick in the 37th minute, when Joao Felix’s header deflected off Simón’s left shoulder and popped in the air to Ronaldo. He flicked the ball with his right foot, but it was soft enough to give Simón time to recover and make a leaping grab.Portugal desperately pushed for an equaliser in the final eight minutes of stoppage time. Silva had a header that went just over the top of the net.The defensive struggle came just two days’ shy of a year since Portugal beat Spain in a riveting UEFA Nations League final that went to penalty kicks following a 2-2 draw.The other World Cup meeting was Spain’s 1-0 victory – also in the round of 16 – when La Roja won the title in South Africa.