- Spain vs Saudi Arabia: Spain beat Saudi Arabia 4-0 to move to the top of Group H at the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
- Lamine Yamal marked his first World Cup start by scoring his maiden goal at the tournament.
- Mikel Oyarzabal struck twice, while a second-half own goal from Hassan Al-Tambakti helped seal Spain’s emphatic victory.
Lamine Yamal got his first start at the 2026 FIFA World Cup and marked the occasion with his debut goal, as Spain hammered Saudi Arabia 4-0 on Sunday evening at Atlanta Stadium.
The 18-year-old dynamic Barcelona winger had been nursing a hamstring issue at the start of the tournament, coming off the bench in their opener against Cape Verde, where they were held to a draw.
Perhaps the minnows Cape Verde were just fortunate to escape with a point against the tournament favourites, but against the Saudis, Spain had already drawn first blood within ten minutes.
It all came down to coach Luis de la Fuente’s changes; Alex Baena threaded a lovely pass down the line for Mikel Oyarzabal, who whipped in a sensational low cross toward the back post, where Yamal had charged in to open his World Cup account.
Saudi Arabia struggled to cope with Spain’s intensity, and ten minutes later La Roja doubled their advantage. A Yamal corner was initially cleared to Dani Olmo, who immediately sent the ball back into the danger area.
The delivery hung in the air before Aymeric Laporte flicked it on. Oyarzabal reacted quickest, stealing the ball off a defender’s boot before slotting home Spain’s second.
Georgios Donis’ men may have been hoping to reach the hydration break without further damage and ease the mounting pressure, but Spain had other ideas.
Just two minutes after scoring their second, they grabbed a third. Pau Cubarsi swung in a cross from the right, Marc Cucurella kept it alive at the far post, and Dani Olmo nodded the ball across goal, allowing Oyarzabal to tap in virtually on the goal line for his brace.
Saudi Arabia rarely looked comfortable in possession during the opening 45 minutes and offered little attacking threat. They went into the break regretting the defensive lapses that had gifted Spain a commanding three-goal lead.
With the match seemingly under control, Luis de la Fuente opted not to risk Yamal for the second half and withdrew him before the restart. Yeremy Pino came on in his place, while Ferran Torres replaced Oyarzabal.
Just three minutes into the second half, Saudi Arabia’s defensive frailties resurfaced as Spain grabbed their fourth goal.
Marc Cucurella was left completely unmarked at the back post from a corner. Although goalkeeper Mohammed Al Owais produced a smart low save to deny his volley, the rebound ricocheted off defender Hassan Al-Tambakti and into the net.
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Neither side would add to the scoreline after that, though, Ferran Torres did manage to find the back of the net for what could have been Spain’s fifth, only for the VAR to rule it out for offside.
In the end, the four goals proved more than enough to propel Spain to the summit of Group H on four points.
They will now look to finish strongly when they face Uruguay on Saturday. Meanwhile, Saudi Arabia are staring at elimination ahead of their final group-stage clash against Cape Verde on the same day.
Spain vs Saudi Arabia – 2026 FIFA World Cup Group H lineups (Sunday, June 21, 2026)
- Spain Starting XI: Unai Simon, Pedro Porro, Pau Cubarsi, Aymeric Laporte, Marc Cucurella, Rodri, Pedri, Alex Baena, Dani Olmo, Lamine Yamal, Mikel Oyarzabal.
- Saudi Arabia Starting XI: Mohammed Al Owais, Saud Abdulhamid, Hassan Al-Tambakti, Ali Lajami, Abdulelah Al-Amri, Moteb Al-Harbi, Nasser Al Dawsari, Abdullah Al Khaibari, Musab Al Juwayr, Feras Al Brikan, Salem Al Dawsari.
Read more about other World Cup teams in 2026 below:
Morocco national football team 2026
Argentina national football team 2026
Mexico national football team 2026
Spain national football team 2026
Brazil national football team 2026
France national football team 2026
Senegal national football team 2026