Spain recorded its first win at the 2026 FIFA World Cup after coming from behind a 0-0 draw with Cape Verde to beat Saudi Arabia 4-0 in Atlanta on Sunday.
Teenage sensation Lamine Yamal opened the scoring when he tapped a square pass into the net at the far post in the tenth minute, becoming the youngest goalscorer for his side at a World Cup.
Mikel Oyarzabal then struck twice within three minutes to push Saudi further into a corner. Both finishes came from close range.
Saudi attempted a few forays into the Spanish half via counters, but their attacks were smothered by the Spanish defense.
The elimination of Oyarzabal and Yamal heading into the second half signaled Luis de la Fuente’s intention to finish the match.
Four minutes into the second half, Marc Cucurella’s shot was saved by the Saudi keeper, but went into the goal via a defender to seal the victory.
Ferran Torres also scored a tap-in in stoppage time in the second half, but he failed to time his run and was ruled offside.
ESP versus KSA setups
Spain: Simón (7.7), Porro (8.3), Cubarsí (7.7), Laporte (8.0), Cucurella (7.5), Rodri (8.2), Olmo (7.7), Pedri (7.4), Lamine Yamal (8.4), Oyarzabal (9.3), Baena (7.0). substitutes: Ferran (6.3), Ruiz (6.6), Pino (6.1), Merino (6.1), Williams (5.8).
Saudi Arabia: Al Owais (6.9), Abdulhamid (5.6), Al Amri (5.3), Lajami (5.8), Al Tambakti (4.5), Al-Harbi (5.1), Al-Juwayr (6.2), Alkhaibari (6.2), Al-Dawsari (7.1), Al-Dawsari (6.3), Al-Buraikan (6.1). substitutes: Al Shamat (6.8), Al-Hamdan (6.4), Kanno (6.2), Hajji (6.2), Al Ghannam (no rating).
Published on June 21, 2026
