Portugal beats Spain in cricket to avenge recent World Cup loss
A month after being eliminated by Spain in the football World Cup, Portugal defeated the same rivals by 57 runs in a T20 cricket qualifier.
After Spain knocked Portugal out of the 2026 FIFA World Cup in a narrow 1-0 match, the Iberian rivals met again in cricket, where Portugal emerged victorious by 57 runs in the ICC Men's T20 World Cup Europe Sub-Regional Qualifier C final. Portugal set a target of 160/6, anchored by scores from Dhavalkumar Norotam (23) and Christopher De Freitas (39), with a late acceleration from Craig Cachopa (25 off 21 balls) and Jeremy Martins (18 not out).
Spain, captained by Christian Munoz-Mills, chose to field but could not recover after early wickets, despite a partnership between Yasir Ali and Daniel Doyle Calle. Siraj Ullah Khadem (2/19) and Edward Fleming (3/13) turned the match in Portugal’s favor, sealing the win. The result advances Portugal to the 2027 Europe Qualifier, one step away from the global stage for the 2028 T20 World Cup.
Why it matters
The win gives Portugal a morale boost and keeps its hopes alive for the 2028 T20 World Cup.
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