World Cup 2026 news: Lamine Yamal stars as Spain cruise past Saudi Arabia
Lamine Yamal continued his impressive FIFA World Cup campaign as Spain secured their first Group H victory with a commanding 4-0 win over Saudi Arabia at the Mercedes-Benz Stadium on Sunday.
The teenage winger opened the scoring before Mikel Oyarzabal struck twice in quick succession as Luis de la Fuente's side bounced back from their disappointing opening draw to move firmly into contention for a place in the knockout stages.
An own goal from Hassan Altambakti early in the second half completed the scoring as Spain delivered one of their most convincing performances of the tournament so far.
Yamal inspires improved Spain display
After dropping points in their opening fixture, Spain arrived in Atlanta knowing they needed a response.
They found one almost immediately.
Yamal opened the scoring in the 10th minute and looked dangerous throughout his time on the pitch, helping Spain establish complete control of the contest.
The goal marked another significant moment in the youngster's remarkable rise and carried added personal significance.
"Being able to score here with my mum and my family in the stands is a dream come true," Yamal told DAZN after the match, per Sky Sports.
The Barcelona winger admitted Spain's opening result had sharpened the squad's focus heading into the encounter.
"The first game wasn't really us, it was different, but now we've arrived and we're going for more," Yamal said.
"Drawing a match that you know you should win stings. It made us think a lot, and it helped us approach this match exactly how we wanted to."
Oyarzabal punishes Saudi Arabia
While Yamal grabbed the early headlines, Oyarzabal proved equally influential.
The forward scored twice in three first-half minutes to effectively put the result beyond doubt before the interval.
His movement and finishing consistently troubled the Saudi Arabian defence as Spain repeatedly found space in dangerous areas.
The performance was particularly encouraging given concerns surrounding Oyarzabal's fitness heading into the match.
De la Fuente pleased with attacking response
Spain head coach Luis de la Fuente praised both Yamal and Oyarzabal following the victory.
"Lamine is in perfect condition to take on full matches now," De la Fuente told DAZN.
The Spain coach also highlighted the importance of managing the teenager's workload during a demanding tournament.
"It's also good to take him off like that, leaving him hungry for more."
De la Fuente was equally complimentary of Oyarzabal after his brace.
"What can we say about Oyarzabal? He'd been dealing with a minor issue - you can't share everything - but he always delivers an exceptional performance,” he added.
Spain build momentum
The victory represents an important step forward for Spain after an underwhelming start to their World Cup campaign.
A clean sheet, four goals and a dominant display will provide confidence as tougher tests await later in the tournament.
"Today was an important step for what's to come," De la Fuente said of the result.
For Spain, the result was about more than three points.
After questions followed their opening draw, La Roja produced the type of performance expected from one of the tournament favourites.
And once again, Yamal was at the heart of it.
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