Spain didn’t need long to turn a tight group into something far more comfortable. Yamal and Oyarzabal push Spain past Saudi Arabia with their impressive performances in this crucial match.
At Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, Spain beat Saudi Arabia 4-0, scoring three times in the first 24 minutes and moving from group uncertainty into a position of control. In a section where Uruguay, Saudi Arabia, Spain and Cape Verde had all opened with one point, this was the first result that created real separation.
Lamine Yamal opened the scoring in the 10th minute, finishing from close range after Mikel Oyarzabal’s cross following a fast break. At 18 years and 343 days old, Yamal also moved into rare company as one of the youngest goal scorers in World Cup history.
| Rank | Player | Team | Scoring date | Age |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pelé | Brazil | June 19, 1958 | 17 years, 239 days |
| 2 | Manuel Rosas | Mexico | July 19, 1930 | 18 years, 93 days |
| 3 | Gavi | Spain | Nov. 23, 2022 | 18 years, 110 days |
| 4 | Michael Owen | England | June 22, 1998 | 18 years, 190 days |
| 5 | Nicolae Kovács | Romania | July 14, 1930 | 18 years, 197 days |
| 6 | Dmitri Sychev | Russia | June 14, 2002 | 18 years, 231 days |
| 7 | Lamine Yamal | Spain | June 21, 2026 | 18 years, 343 days |
| 8 | Lionel Messi | Argentina | June 16, 2006 | 18 years, 357 days |
Eleven minutes after Yamal’s opener, Oyarzabal made it 2-0 from the left side of the six-yard box after Aymeric Laporte’s headed pass from a corner. By the 24th minute, Oyarzabal had scored again, this time from very close range after Dani Olmo’s header set him up.
That sequence effectively ended the match as a contest. Saudi Arabia had come in with a point to protect and a route to making the group messy, but Spain’s early speed took away the one thing underdogs usually need most: time. The match wasn’t built on Spain slowly wearing Saudi Arabia down. It was decided by Spain refusing to let the first half breathe.
Spain turn control into early damage
The fourth came in the 49th minute, when Hassan Al-Tambakti turned the ball into his own net. It gave the scoreline its final shape, but the result had already been written by Spain’s opening burst. Spain finished with 22 shots, eight on target and six corners, while Saudi Arabia managed three shots and one on target.
For Spain, the clean sheet mattered almost as much as the score. Unai Simón had only one save to make, while the back line of Laporte, Pau Cubarsí, Marc Cucurella and Pedro Porro kept Saudi Arabia from turning rare counters into a sustained threat. Rodri and Pedri gave Spain the platform, while Yamal, Olmo and Oyarzabal supplied the early punishment.
The win also sharpened the group picture around the 2026 World Cup stage in Atlanta. Spain moved to four points and forced the rest of the group to chase. Saudi Arabia, still on one point, now head toward the final matchday with far less margin.
There was one late footnote when Ferran Torres had a stoppage-time goal overturned after a VAR review, but it didn’t change the story. Spain had already done the important work early, and they did it with the kind of ruthlessness that turns possession into a result before doubt can enter the match.
