Spain bounced back from their disappointing opening draw at the 2026 FIFA World Cup with a commanding 4-0 victory over Saudi Arabia, inspired by a brace from Mikel Oyarzabal and an impressive display from teenage star Lamine Yamal.
According to AFP, via Channels Television, the European champions produced a ruthless attacking performance in Atlanta on Sunday to move to the top of Group H with four points from two matches.
Spain entered the match under pressure after being held to a surprise goalless draw by Cape Verde in their tournament opener. However, any concerns over their attack quickly disappeared once Yamal marked his first start in two months with an early goal.
The 18-year-old winger opened the scoring after 10 minutes, arriving at the back post to convert a low cross from Oyarzabal.
Spain then seized complete control as Oyarzabal struck twice within three minutes, extending the lead to 3-0 after only 24 minutes and effectively ending Saudi Arabia’s hopes of a comeback.
The fourth goal arrived shortly after the interval when defender Hassan Al-Tambakti inadvertently turned the ball into his own net after goalkeeper Mohammed Al-Owais had saved a shot from Marc Cucurella.
The convincing victory leaves Spain in a strong position to qualify for the last 32 as they seek to add a second World Cup title to the one won in 2010.
Elsewhere in Group H, Cape Verde were preparing to face Uruguay in Miami, with coach Pedro Leitao Brito insisting his side would continue to play “without fear” despite being tournament newcomers.
Saturday’s action also produced major developments elsewhere in the tournament. Germany secured a place in the knockout stage with a dramatic 2-1 victory over Ivory Coast, while Netherlands thrashed Sweden 5-1 and Japan defeated Tunisia 4-0 in the 1,000th match in World Cup history.
