- Spain beat Saudi Arabia 4–0 to get their World Cup campaign back on track
- Lamine Yamal scored early, becoming one of Spain’s youngest World Cup scorers
- Oyarzabal scored twice as Spain dominated, with Saudi Arabia also conceding an own goal
Spain revived their 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification hopes in dominant style, cruising to a 4–0 victory over Saudi Arabia, with rising star Lamine Yamal stealing the spotlight as he etched his name into the record books.
Eko Hot Blog reports that the 18-year-old forward struck early in Atlanta, arriving at the back post to convert a precise cross from Mikel Oyarzabal just 10 minutes into the match, giving Spain an immediate advantage.
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That strike made Yamal the second-youngest goalscorer in Spain’s World Cup history at 18 years and 343 days. Only Gavi had previously scored at a younger age, netting during Spain’s 7–0 win over Costa Rica at the 2022 tournament.
After being held to a frustrating draw by Cape Verde in their opening fixture, Spain responded with intensity and controlled the game from the start. Their pressure paid off again in the 21st minute when a poorly cleared corner fell kindly to Oyarzabal, who finished inside the box to double the lead.
Oyarzabal struck again three minutes later, reacting quickest to a flick from Dani Olmo and converting from close range to put Spain firmly in command before the match had reached the half-hour mark.
Saudi Arabia’s situation worsened early in the second half. Marc Cucurella unleashed a strong effort that was parried by goalkeeper Mohammed Al-Owais, but the rebound deflected off defender Hassan Al Tambakti and went into the net for an own goal in the 49th minute.
Spain pushed for more, and substitute Ferran Torres briefly thought he had added a fifth late on, but VAR ruled the effort out for offside after a lengthy review.
The Saudi side struggled to cope with Spain’s attacking rhythm throughout, with frustrations spilling over as Salem Al Dawsari and Mohamed Kanno both received yellow cards.
The win extends Spain’s unbeaten run to 12 matches and strengthens their position in the group ahead of their final fixtures. For Saudi Arabia, qualification hopes now hinge on getting a positive result in their remaining group game against Cape Verde.
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