Yamal Electrifies as Spain Reignite World Cup Dreams with Dominant Saudi Arabia Triumph

Spain cruised to a commanding 4–0 win over Saudi Arabia in Atlanta on Sunday, with the European champions making a statement after the disappointment of their Group H opener.

Determined not to repeat the flat, goalless performance against Cabo Verde at the same venue, La Roja came out firing from the first whistle, with Lamine Yamal—making his first World Cup start—injecting a much-needed spark into the attack.

The 18-year-old slotted home at the back post to break the deadlock early and etch his name in history as the ninth youngest scorer in World Cup history, and Spain never looked back once the dam had burst.

Mikel Oyarzabal—who had drawn criticism for his quiet showing against Cabo Verde—silenced his doubters with a brace before the half-hour mark, effectively turning the remainder of the match into a comfortable training run.

Hassan Al-Tambakti had the misfortune of diverting the ball into his own net to complete Spain's tally, but the four-goal haul was no more than Luis de la Fuente's side deserved, as they proved they are every bit the 2026 World Cup contenders the world expected them to be.

One Thing We Can't Ignore

Despite featuring for just 45 minutes, this game belonged to Yamal.

Without the teenager in the starting lineup against Cabo Verde, Spain had the ball but lacked a cutting edge. On Sunday against Saudi Arabia, it was a completely different story, with La Roja looking far more clinical and dangerous.

Yamal's mere presence seemed to lift the tension and stiffness that had plagued his teammates in the previous outing, bringing a fresh energy and swagger to the side. Within the opening minute, he had wriggled his way into the Saudi Arabia penalty area. His first attempt on goal came before the four-minute mark, and his first World Cup goal arrived just as the clock hit 10 minutes.

In doing so, the Barcelona star became just the ninth player aged under 19 to find the net at a World Cup.

He continued to torment defenders for the next 35 minutes, leaving them dizzy, creating space and lifting the pace of the game. With the work done, he was wisely rested at half-time, with De la Fuente mindful of his key player's continued recovery from a hamstring problem. It served as a reminder that Yamal is still not operating at full capacity. A frightening prospect.

Spain Player Ratings vs. Saudi Arabia (4-1–2-3)

*Ratings Provided by FotMob*

GK: Unai Simón—7.7: Only two saves required across the tournament so far. Simón has been among the least-tested goalkeepers at the World Cup despite playing the full 180 minutes.

RB: Pedro Porro—8.3: Offered more going forward than Marcos Llorente and has handed De la Fuente a selection headache ahead of the Uruguay fixture.

CB: Pau Cubarsí—7.7: The young centre-back saw a lot of the ball but was rarely called upon at the defensive end.

CB: Aymeric Laporte—8.0: His arching header set up Oyarzabal for Spain's second goal.

LB: Marc Cucurella—7.5: A consistent attacking outlet down the left alongside the inverted Baena. His volley deflected in off Al-Tambakti to make it four.

DM: Rodri—8.2: True to form, the Manchester City midfielder touched the ball more than anyone else on the pitch. The skipper will have been far more satisfied with how this game unfolded.

CM: Pedri—7.3: Dropped into a deeper position compared to the more advanced role he played against Cabo Verde.

CM: Dani Olmo—7.7: Contributed the dynamism that had been missing from midfield and registered an assist in the process.

RW: Lamine Yamal—8.4: The impact one player can have. Yamal has well and truly announced himself. The world has been warned.

ST: Mikel Oyarzabal—9.3: Combined well in the build-up and assisted the opener, before coolly finishing the second himself and adding another before the break. Denied a shot at a hat-trick after being substituted at half-time.

LW: Alex Baena—6.9: Considerably more influential than Gavi had been against Cabo Verde and demonstrated that Spain has capable cover for Nico Williams.

SUB: Ferran Torres (45' for Oyarzabal)—6.3: Tapped in what would have been Spain's fifth late on, only for it to be disallowed following a (unnecessarily lengthy given the situation) VAR check.

SUB: Yéremy Pino (45' for Yamal)—6.1: Saw little of the action, with the game already well wrapped up by the time he entered.

SUB: Mikel Merino (61' for Olmo)—6.1: A trusted figure under De la Fuente, he got some valuable game time under his belt after an inconsistent club season.

SUB: Nico Williams (61' for Baena)—5.8: Still building back to full sharpness after his own hamstring setback, much like Yamal. Still a menace when in full stride.

SUB: Fabián Ruiz (70' for Pedri)—6.6: Didn't need to do much during his brief appearance. And he didn't.

Subs not used: David Raya (GK), Joan García (GK), Eric Garcia, Marc Pubill, Marcos Llorente, Alex Grimaldo, Martín Zubimendi, Gavi, Borja Iglesias, Víctor Muñoz

What the Ratings Tell Us

The Numbers That Explain Spain's Dominant Display

SI answers is our AI answer engine trained on human-created content.