Add more big names to the parade of soccer megastars coming through Dallas-Fort Worth for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
International powers Spain and Portugal will meet in the round of 16 at 2 p.m. Monday at AT&T Stadium in Arlington after winning knockout matches Thursday.
That means Portugal forward Cristiano Ronaldo, regarded as one of the greatest players of all time, is coming to the Metroplex. He has faced questions about his capacity at age 41, but he scored the first goal of his career in a World Cup knockout game in Thursday’s 2-1 victory over Croatia in Toronto.
Spain is ranked No. 3 in the world, and Portugal is No. 7. Spain has not advanced past the round of 16 since claiming its lone World Cup in 2010. Portugal reached the quarterfinals in 2022 but has never finished better than third at the World Cup.
Jim Barnes is the Star-Telegram’s sports editor. A Fort Worth native and graduate of Castleberry High School, he returned to Texas after 13 years at the Las Vegas Review-Journal. He previously was sports editor of the Waco Tribune-Herald and a freelance high school sports reporter for The Dallas Morning News.