The teenage phenom scored the opening goal and Mikel Oyarzabal added a brace as European champions Spain bounced back from their Cape Verde draw with a dominant display
Spain delivered a commanding 4-0 victory over Saudi Arabia at the Atlanta Stadium on Sunday, as teenage phenom Lamine Yamal marked his first career World Cup start with a goal and Mikel Oyarzabal scored twice to kick-start the European champions’ tournament.
Following a frustrating 0-0 opening-match draw against Cape Verde, Spain manager Luis de la Fuente made four tactical adjustments, highlighted by handing Yamal his first World Cup start. The 18-year-old justified the decision immediately.
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Spain broke the deadlock in the 10th minute when Yamal ghosted in at the back post to tap home a low cross from Oyarzabal. Oyarzabal doubled the lead in the 21st minute, poking a clever close-range finish past goalkeeper Mohammed Al-Owais. Just three minutes later, Oyarzabal struck again, capitalising on an assist from Aymeric Laporte to fire in his second goal of the half.
The fourth goal came in the 49th minute when a powerful strike from Marc Cucurella took a wicked deflection off Saudi defender Hassan Altambakti for an own goal. Ferran Torres had a late goal ruled out by VAR for a marginal offside on Pedro Porro during the buildup.
Spain dominated possession with 65 percent and registered 21 shots, nine on target, while Saudi Arabia managed just three shots, one on target. Spanish passing accuracy stood at 92 percent compared to Saudi Arabia’s 76 percent.
Saudi Arabia, managed by Georgios Donis, came into the match after an encouraging 1-1 opening draw with Uruguay. However, the Green Falcons were thoroughly overwhelmed by Spain’s high pressing and intricate passing combinations, shifting their focus strictly to damage limitation by the second half.
According to a report by Accra Street Journal, the result marks Spain’s second World Cup meeting with Saudi Arabia, following a 1-0 victory in the 2006 tournament. Spain remains undefeated in their four modern encounters, outscoring Saudi Arabia 13-2.
Spain’s comprehensive victory places them on four points in Group H, level with Cabo Verde after their shock 0-0 draw with Spain on Matchday 1. Saudi Arabia remain on one point and will face Uruguay in their final group match needing a result to keep knockout hopes alive.
Source: Accra Street Journal
Last Updated on June 21, 2026 by Samuel Kwame Boadu
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Samuel Kwame Boadu is a Ghanaian media entrepreneur and storyteller with a passion for amplifying urban voices and uncovering everyday truths. He is the Editor-in-Chief and Founder of Accra Street Journal, a dynamic digital platform dedicated to capturing the pulse of Ghana’s capital—its people, culture, challenges, business, sports and innovations.
