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Teen sensation Lamine Yamal and forward Mikel Oyarzabal starred as Spain produced a commanding performance to defeat Saudi Arabia 4-0 in their Group H encounter of the FIFA World Cup 2026 on Sunday (local time).
After being held to a goalless draw by Cape Verde in their opening fixture, Spain responded in emphatic fashion with a dominant display that hightlighted their credentials in the tournament. Yamal opened the scoring before Oyarzabal struck twice, while an own goal from Saudi Arabia further compounded their misery. Spain took control of the contest from the opening whistle and were rewarded in the 10th minute when Yamal found the breakthrough. The 18-year-old forward calmly converted from close range after being picked out by Oyarzabal to hand his side an early advantage. The goal also marked a significant milestone for Yamal. According to Opta, the youngster became the eighth-youngest goalscorer in FIFA World Cup history, scoring at the age of 18 years and 343 days. Spain continued to dominate possession and create opportunities, pinning Saudi Arabia deep inside their own half. Their sustained pressure paid off again in the 21st minute when Oyarzabal doubled the lead. The striker reacted quickest inside the penalty area and slotted home from close range to make it 2-0. Just three minutes later, Oyarzabal struck again to extend Spain's advantage. Dani Olmo's clever touch inside the box helped create the chance and the striker made no mistake with his finish. Saudi Arabia struggled to contain Spain's attack throughout the first half, while Oyarzabal nearly completed his hat-trick before the break, only to see his effort hit the crossbar. Spain effectively ended the contest four minutes into the second half. Marc Cucurella's dangerous effort into the box took a deflection off Saudi defender Hassan Altambakti and found its way into the net for an own goal. With a four-goal advantage, Spain comfortably controlled the remainder of the match and made several substitutions to rest key players. Saudi Arabia rarely threatened, and goalkeeper Unai Simon had little work to do. Spain's Ferran Torres thought he had added a fifth goal for the team in stoppage time, but VAR ruled it out for offside. Nevertheless, Spain secured a convincing 4-0 victory to get their World Cup campaign firmly back on track. The win moved Spain to the top of the Group H standings with four points from two matches. Uruguay occupy second place, while Saudi Arabia are third and Cabo Verde sit fourth in the group. (ANI)
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