Lamine Yamal marked his second appearance in Group H of the 2026 World Cup with a breakthrough moment, scoring his first tournament goal as Spain defeated Saudi Arabia 4-0 at Mercedes-Benz Stadium on Sunday night.
The 17-year-old winger opened the scoring in the 10th minute before Mikel Oyarzabal struck twice in quick succession (21st and 24th minutes). An own goal from Hassan Al-Tambakti in the 49th minute completed a commanding victory for La Roja, who responded strongly after a disappointing draw against Cape Verde in their opening match.
Spain now lead Group H with four points, while Saudi Arabia sit third on one point ahead of their final group fixture. Yamal’s goal also adds to expectations that the Barcelona forward could play a growing role as Spain continue their tournament campaign, with one match remaining against Uruguay.
Yamal made his World Cup debut against Cape Verde, coming off the bench in the 71st minute after recovering from a hamstring injury. He was given limited minutes in that match but started against Saudi Arabia, although head coach Luis de la Fuente substituted him early in the second half as part of a planned workload management approach.
“That was the plan, to play half a game and rest, but the most important thing is helping the team,” Yamal told FIFA. “The first match wasn’t our best performance, but now we’ve reached this point and we will fight for more.”
Spain’s response to their earlier setback was emphatic, with a more aggressive and vertical approach overwhelming Saudi Arabia from the outset. Yamal said the team used the disappointment from their previous result as motivation.
“A draw in a match we should have won hurt,” he said. “It made us think a lot, and it helped us approach this match exactly how we wanted.”
On scoring his first World Cup goal, Yamal described the moment as a childhood dream realized.
“I’ve always dreamed of being at a World Cup, and scoring in my first start is a dream,” he said. “I watched the last World Cup from a classroom, so scoring here with my mother and family in the stands is a dream.”
