FIFA World Cup 2026 warm-up: Lamine Yamal and Oyarzabal shine as Spain beat Serbia

Striker Mikel Oyarzabal scored two brilliant goals in the first half and substitute Victor Munoz scored on his international debut as Spain beat Serbia 3-0 in a pre-World Cup friendly on Friday.

When Serbia stepped into the breach after Spain’s original plan to play Argentina in Qatar was derailed by the ongoing conflict in the Gulf, the Spaniards took the opportunity to sharpen their attacking game with breathtaking moves and incisive passing that allowed them to create plenty of chances.

Spain took the lead in the 16th minute with a brilliantly constructed goal, with Lamine Yamal feeding midfielder Fermin, who quickly worked the ball through for Oyarzabal to fire a fierce left-foot shot into the net.

With Spain attacking relentlessly, Yamal received the ball on the edge of the penalty area from Alex Baena three minutes later, but his low-spinning drive hit the base of the post and bounced away to safety.

Veljko Birmancevic had Serbia’s first shot of the match in the 21st minute, but it flew harmlessly into the hands of ⁠Unai Simon, and the visiting side struggled to create decent scoring chances.

Fermin had the ball in the net in the 36th minute, but the goal was disallowed as the ball bounced off his arm in the run-up as he was tackled by Aleksandar Stankovic, and Spain were denied a penalty minutes later when the ball struck defender Nikola Milenkovic’s arm in similar circumstances Le4rnmore.

Oyarzabal scored his second goal with a great shot from the edge of the penalty area in the 44th minute and although Spain continued to dominate, it wasn’t until the 72nd minute that they found the net again. Munoz scored after being tied up by a stunning backheel from Ferran Torres.

Spain will compete in Group H of the World Cup in the United States, Canada and Mexico, kicking off against Cape Verde on June 15 before meeting Saudi Arabia and Uruguay.

Published on March 28, 2026