Days after being held to a frustrating stalemate by Cabo Verde in their 2026 FIFA World Cup opener, Spain bounced back after securing a dominant 4-0 win over Saudi Arabia. The two sides faced each other in Group H at the Atlanta Stadium on Sunday, June 21.
La Roja started brilliantly on the front foot, with Barcelona ace Lamine Yamal opening the scoring in the 10th minute with a smart finish from close range. Mikel Oyarzabal then doubled their advantage in the 21st minute before completing his brace three minutes later with another fine shot.
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Spain’s domination continued in the second half as they bagged a 4-0 lead in the 49th minute. This occurred after the ball rebounded off Hassan Al Tambakti into the back of the net after the keeper made a good save to deny Marc Cucurella. Ferran Torres thought he had scored his nation’s fifth in stoppage time, only for his effort to be ruled out by VAR due to an offside.
Without further ado, let’s take a look at five talking points in their FIFA World Cup contest:
#5 Lamine Yamal draws comparisons with Pele after making FIFA World Cup history
Having recently recovered from a hamstring injury, Lamine Yamal wasn’t risked against Cabo Verde as he came on as a late substitute. However, Luis de la Fuente opted to start the 18-year-old against Saudi Arabia.
This decision paid off as Yamal broke the deadlock for Spain. By scoring, he became the second player in football history to open the scoring in a FIFA World Cup fixture aged 18 or younger. The other player was the legendary Pele, who accomplished this feat in 1958 at the age of 17.
De la Fuente took no further risks with Yamal as he was swiftly subbed off at half-time in preparation for their upcoming games.
#4 Mikel Oyarzabal was outstanding in the first half
Following a quiet performance against Cabo Verde, Mikel Oyarzabal was at his very best, as he netted a brilliant brace and provided one assist during his side’s win over Saudi Arabia. He was unlucky not to score a hat-trick as well, with his effort crashing against the woodwork.
Per OptaJoe, Oyarzabal became the second player in history to provide three goal contributions in the opening 25 minutes of a FIFA World Cup clash, after Hungary’s Laszlo Fazekas in 1982.
The 29-year-old was also not risked and was subbed off at half-time in place of Ferran Torres.
#3 Spain were faultless in possession
Spain were in cruise control during their 4-0 win over Saudi Arabia, dominating possession with ease. La Roja had 67 percent of the ball, completing 668 passes with an accuracy of 92 percent. They effectively limited the Green Falcons to just 33 percent possession, as the latter completed 292 passes with 80 percent accuracy.
#2 Saudi Arabia landed their first shot on target in the 80th minute
After recently holding Uruguay to a 1-1 draw in the FIFA World Cup, Saudi Arabia were backed by some to cause an upset against Spain potentially. However, they were only able to muster three shots in total, with only one being on target in the 80th minute!
While the Green Falcons had an xG of just 0.14, La Roja were dominant in attack, landing 22 shots in total, with eight being on target (xG of 2.85). At this level, it is no surprise to see the Spaniards being named one of the favorites to win the FIFA World Cup.
#1 Group H is set up for a thrilling finale
Spain are currently at the summit of Group H with four points from two games, following their win over Saudi Arabia. While they are now likely to qualify for the next stage, the remaining three sides are all in the race to finish second.
Uruguay, Saudi Arabia, and Cabo Verde each have one point. However, only the Green Falcons have played two games, meaning all three nations remain in the running to finish at least second in the group.
Spain will next face Uruguay on Friday, June 26.
Edited by Silas Sud
