Lamine Yamal Scores First FIFA World Cup Goal as Spain Thrash Saudi Arabia
Spain produced a commanding display to secure their first victory of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, with teenage sensation Lamine Yamal scoring on his first World Cup start in a convincing 4-0 win over Saudi Arabia in Group H on Sunday.
The 18-year-old Barcelona star wasted little time making his mark, opening the scoring in the 10th minute at Atlanta Stadium.
Yamal latched onto a low cross from Mikel Oyarzabal and calmly finished at the far post to become only the second player aged 18 or younger, after Pele in 1958, to score the opening goal in a World Cup match.
Spain, held to a frustrating goalless draw by Cape Verde in their opening fixture, looked far more incisive from the outset.
Oyarzabal doubled La Roja’s advantage in the 21st minute after Saudi Arabia failed to clear a corner before adding his second just three minutes later, finishing off a clever Dani Olmo assist to make it 3-0.
The Real Sociedad forward nearly completed a first-half hat-trick but saw his effort crash against the crossbar after capitalising on a mistake by goalkeeper Mohammed Al-Owais.
Despite withdrawing both Yamal and Oyarzabal at halftime, Spain maintained complete control after the break.
Their fourth goal arrived in the 49th minute when Marc Cucurella’s shot was saved by Al-Owais, only for the rebound to strike defender Hassan Al Tambakti and roll into the net for an unfortunate own goal.
Saudi Arabia struggled to create meaningful opportunities throughout the contest, with Abdullah Al Hamdan registering their only shot on target late in the game.
Spain could have extended their lead further, but Ferran Torres dragged a good chance wide before having a stoppage-time goal ruled out for offside following a VAR review.
The victory lifts Spain to the top of Group H with four points from two matches and significantly boosts their chances of reaching the knockout stages.
Saudi Arabia, meanwhile, remain on one point and will need a positive result against Cape Verde in their final group match to keep their qualification hopes alive.
Yamal’s impressive display underlined his growing importance to Luis de la Fuente’s side, while Oyarzabal’s two goals and assist highlighted Spain’s attacking quality as the 2010 world champions announced themselves as genuine contenders in the tournament.
Spain will conclude their group-stage campaign against Uruguay, while Saudi Arabia face Cape Verde on June 27.
Yamal was named Player of the Match after his goal and influential first-half performance as Spain delivered one of the most dominant displays of the tournament so far.
