Yamal scores early as Spain powers past Saudi

Yamal scores – Lamine Yamal needed just 10 minutes to make his first World Cup start feel inevitable, scoring off Mikel Oyarzabal’s cross as Spain surged to a 4-0 win over Saudi Arabia. The performance came after Spain’s 0-0 draw with Cape Verde on June 15 and left Spain ato

ATLANTA — Lamine Yamal didn’t need 90 minutes to announce himself on the World Cup stage. He needed just 10.

In front of a sold-out crowd of 68. 239. the Spain midfielder sparked the match almost immediately against Saudi Arabia. showing dazzling footwork just under a minute into play. Then came his moment as only the very best can manufacture it: Yamal sprinted across the box to meet a crossing pass from Mikel Oyarzabal. turned his stride into a perfectly timed slide at the far post. and with impeccable finesse pushed the ball into the net to give Spain a 1-0 lead.

Spain didn’t slow down. After Yamal’s opener, the match turned into a full-blooded assault, culminating in a 4-0 offensive bonanza.

The history around Yamal has a way of following him onto the field. At 18 years, 343 days old, he is 14 days younger than Lionel Messi was when Messi scored his first World Cup goal. Yamal is also the second-youngest player to score a World Cup goal for Spain after Gavi. who was 18 years. 110 days old in 2022 against Costa Rica. He is the eighth-youngest to score in World Cup history.

After the goal, Yamal slid again along the far touchline in unbridled celebration, then fell to his knees and pointed to the sky as if thanking the moment.

“I’ve always dreamed of being at a World Cup, and being able to score in my first match as a starter is a dream,” Yamal said postgame. “I watched the last World Cup from a classroom, so being able to score here with my mom and my family in the stands is a dream come true.”

Spain came into the match needing to find scoring rhythm. Their previous outing had ended in disappointment: a 0-0 showing against Cape Verde on June 15. Yamal, returning from injury, played but did not start then. In that debut appearance during the second half, he played 19 minutes. La Roja recorded 27 attempts on goal against Cape Verde, but only seven were on target.

Against Saudi Arabia on Sunday, the numbers told a different story. Spain produced 21 attempts, with eight on target. Oyarzabal delivered the kind of quick-strike finish that flips a match: he scored a brace in the 21st and 24th minutes. Then the 29-year-old added to his impact on Yamal’s goal, with two more goals coming in under three minutes.

With Spain leading 3-0 at halftime, coach Luis de la Fuente made a decision that underscored his trust in the plan—and the player’s fitness. He took both Yamal and Oyarzabal off.

“Lamine is in perfect condition to take on full matches now. And 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,” De la Fuente said.

He added that the substitution wasn’t just about the scoreline.

“Obviously, we had to see how the match developed, but today was an important step for what’s to come. Lamine is already in perfect condition, and it’s also good to take him off like that, leaving him hungry for more.”

In the second half, Spain kept its control. De la Fuente subbed out several other starters, but the team stayed aggressive.

In the 49th minute, Saudi Arabia tried to turn the tide, and instead suffered a blow: Hassan Altambakti scored an own goal after a Marc Cucurella volley that zig-zagged before finding the net. The score moved to 4-0, putting further distance between the teams.

Yamal spoke to the reason Spain had been able to keep fresh legs on the field.

“That was the plan, to play for a half and get some rest, but above all to help the team. The first game wasn’t really us; it was different, but now we’ve arrived, and we’re going for more.”

He also described what that early 3-0 lead did to the match flow.

“It turned out the way we wanted — being 3-0 up allowed me to rest, so it was perfect. 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.”

With the win over Saudi Arabia, Spain moved to the top of Group H standings with four points. De la Fuente, though, made it clear he doesn’t want the team to relax just because the finishing finally arrived.

“We played an exceptional first half and a good second half too. Above all, this allows us to maintain our momentum and face the important games ahead. Uruguay is going to be a difficult and very tough match,” De la Fuente said.

“We’d reviewed (the film) with the players, and we all agreed that we needed more verticality and more intensity. You could see it in our shots — from the very first minute we were suffocating the opponent and pinning them back into their own box. We are very happy with that approach, but we have to keep growing and improving.”.

Spain now turns immediately to its next test: a match against Uruguay on June 26 at 8 p.m. ET on FOX.

Lamine Yamal Spain vs Saudi Arabia World Cup Luis de la Fuente Mikel Oyarzabal Group H Uruguay match Hassan Altambakti own goal Marc Cucurella