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Portugal vs Spain in numbers

Cristiano Ronaldo will come face to face against his Real Madrid teammate Sergio Ramos when Portugal take on Spain tonight

Spain on their way to winning the 2010 FIFA World Cup edged out Portugal 1-0 in the round of 16.

One unique stuff about Spain and Portugal is that, they have 43 UEFA Champions League winners’ medals between them (Spain 34, Portugal nine).

Spain are poor starters at the World Cup, having won just twice in the 12 opening games played (D3, L7)

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Portugal could join Spain, Germany and France as the three nations that have managed to win back to back European Championship and the World Cup tournament.

Portugal’s best finish in the World Cup was third place finish in 1966, while Spain are one time winners of the World Cup (2010).

Cristiano Ronaldo was Portugal’s leading top scorer, bagging 15 goals and assisting three, but he is yet to score against Spain in 340 minutes.

Portugal’s coach Fernando Santo has guided his teams to the knockout state in all three of his major tournaments as a coach, while this is Fernando Hiero’s first with any country, having been appointed after Lopetegui was sacked as coach two days to the start of the tournament.

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Santos made history by winning Portugal’s only continental title in Euro 2016 Championship, beating hosts France to the title.

Portugal qualified on the final day of the European qualifiers, while Spain were one of the four European nations that booked a place in the World Cup without a defeat in the qualifiers, winning nine of their 10 games.

Spain have qualified for their 11 consecutive FIFA World Cups, which is their longest streak, whereas Portugal have booked a place in the Mundial since 2002, but a total of 7.

Cristiano Ronaldo, the reigning, the reigning world and European best player is the star man of the Portuguese team, while Spain has an all-round national team, with no standout player.

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