Spain roar back with 4-0 win over Saudi Arabia
La Roja’s poster boy, Lamine Yamal, opened the scoring in the 10th minute.
Spain bounced back from their disappointing opening draw with a commanding 4-0 victory over Saudi Arabia in their second Group H match of the Fifa World Cup 2026, moving to the top of the group and boosting their knockout-stage hopes.
After being held to a goalless draw by Cabo Verde in their tournament opener, Luis de la Fuente's side wasted little time asserting their dominance at Atlanta Stadium.
La Roja's poster boy, Lamine Yamal, opened the scoring in the 10th minute, sliding home Mikel Oyarzabal's cross at the back post for his first-ever World Cup goal.
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Oyarzabal then took centre stage, striking twice in the space of three minutes to put the match beyond Saudi Arabia's reach.
The forward netted in the 21st and 24th minutes, capping a superb first-half display that gave Spain a 3-0 lead before the break.
Spain continued to dominate after halftime and extended their advantage in the 49th minute when Saudi defender Hassan Altambakti turned the ball into his own net under pressure, making it 4-0.
Ferran Torres thought he had added a fifth in the added time of the second half, but the goal was ruled out following a VAR review.
The Spanish side controlled possession throughout and created a flurry of chances, while goalkeeper Unai Simon was rarely troubled as Saudi Arabia struggled to mount any meaningful attacks.
The victory lifts Spain to four points from two matches, placing them provisionally at the top of Group H after recovering from their surprising stalemate against Cabo Verde.
Saudi Arabia remain on one point and will need a positive result in their final group match against Cabo Verde to keep their hopes of reaching the knockout stage alive.
