Spain left no room for a new surprise. After the goalless draw with Cape Verde in the debut, the European team took to the field at a fast pace this Sunday (21) and thrashed Saudi Arabia 4-0 without leaving room for reaction.
The result placed Spain provisionally at the top of World Cup Group H with four points.
The goals were scored by Lamine Yamal, Mikel Oyarzabal, twice, and Hassan Tambakti, against, after Marc Cucurella’s shot.
The first of them had historical weight. At 18 years and 343 days, Yamal became the eighth youngest player to score at a World Cup and surpassed Lionel Messi in the rankings.
The Argentine was 18 years and 357 days old when he scored his first goal in the World Cup, in the 6-0 victory over Serbia and Montenegro, in 2006. The leader of the statistics is Pelé, aged 17 years and 239 days in 1958.
This goal also interrupted a Spanish drought in World Cups, as the team had gone 299 minutes without scoring in the tournament, a historic drought. The last one had been made in the 11th minute of the first half against Japan, in 2022, then the matches against Morocco (2022), which went to extra time, and Cape Verde (2026) and the opening ten minutes against Saudi Arabia.
“It’s very special. I’ve always dreamed of playing in a World Cup, and being able to score in my first game is a dream. I watched the last World Cup from the classroom,” Yamal told DAZN.
On the other hand, Yamal is not the youngest to score in this World Cup. Ibrahim Mbaye, aged 18 years and 143 days, left his in Senegal’s 3-1 defeat to France.
Among the Spanish, Yamal came to occupy second position on the historical list. He is behind only Gavi, who scored at 18 years and 110 days in the 7-0 rout of Costa Rica in the Qatar Cup.
Chosen as a starter after starting the tournament on the bench while recovering from a muscle injury, the striker needed just nine minutes to make his mark. Oyarzabal crossed low from the left and found Yamal free at the far post. The number 19 appeared at speed to push the ball into the net.
The goal paved the way for a dominant performance from Spain. In the 20th minute, after a corner kick, the Saudi defense cleared the ball badly, Dani Olmo finished with a cross and Oyarzabal took advantage of the surplus to expand.
Saudi Arabia, who had drawn 1-1 with Uruguay in their debut, barely had time to react. Two minutes later, Pedro Porro crossed, Cucurella replaced the ball in the area and Oyarzabal scored again.
The striker even hit the crossbar before half-time against a Saudi defense that spent much of the first half trying to contain the Spanish pressure.
With the match practically resolved, Yamal did not return for the second half. The fourth goal came at the beginning of the final stage. After a corner kick, Cucurella finished, the goalkeeper saved and the ball deflected off Tambakti before going in.
After the match, Oyarzabal celebrated the victory and also his own game, with two goals and an assist, as well as a ball hitting the crossbar. He had been criticized for his poor performance in the match against Cape Verde, but said it made no sense.
“Happy to have been able to help the team. The other day I touched the ball less and participated less in the game. (…) No, because I always felt loved and valued. By my teammates, by the coach and by people in my everyday life. That’s what I take with me. In football, there will always be comments.”
The second round of Group H will be completed this Sunday with the clash between Uruguay and Cape Verde. As all teams drew in their debut, no team will be able to qualify in advance.
The final round will be played on Friday (26). Spain will face Uruguay, while Saudi Arabia will play Cape Verde. Both matches will take place at 9pm.
