Spain was eager to forget their surprising stumble at the start of the World Cup. They succeeded impressively, but rising star Lamine Yamal didn’t steal the spotlight.
Spain faced considerable criticism after one of the top favorites for the World Cup title could only manage a 0-0 draw against World Cup newcomers Cape Verde in their opening group game.
Mikel Oyarzabal, playing as a false nine for coach Luis de la Fuente’s team, bore the brunt of the mockery. The reason: against a deep-lying opponent, Oyarzabal was often completely isolated at the forefront. This was accompanied by a devastating statistic: in the first 30 minutes against Cape Verde, the Real Sociedad attacker had not a single touch of the ball. Zero. This had never happened to any other player in a World Cup match before.
To say that things improved in the 4-0 victory against Saudi Arabia would be a significant understatement. Because by the time half an hour had passed in the second group game, Oyarzabal had not zero touches, but a remarkable three scorer points to his name. A feat that, since 1966, only two other players had managed.
The importance of Lamine Yamal to Spain’s game was already evident when the Barcelona superstar was substituted on after a good 70 minutes against Cape Verde. He wasn’t quite ready to play more after a recent injury, but against Saudi Arabia, Yamal could start from the beginning – and truly arrived at the 2026 World Cup.
In the early stages, it was the 18-year-old who repeatedly occupied several opponents, injecting much more spirit into the European champions’ play compared to their opener. The narrative of the opening minutes was perfect when Yamal scored Spain’s first goal of this World Cup and his first-ever World Cup goal.
A perfect pass from Oyarzabal to the far post found the exceptional Barcelona talent, and Yamal only had to tap it in. Oyarzabal then scored the second goal himself after about 20 minutes, capitalizing on hesitant clearance from Saudi Arabia, cleverly intervening, and scoring from a few yards out. The distance was similarly short for Oyarzabal’s second strike shortly after: a brace plus an assist within less than 25 minutes were thus complete.
However, direct goal contributions were not all that made Oyarzabal so valuable on this Sunday afternoon in Atlanta. With intelligent movement, he was often a crucial factor in creating space for the Spaniards and demonstrated qualities that coach de la Fuente particularly values in him. «He has an innate talent for playing between the lines, and he uses his runs very well. He is world-class,» he had said in March about the 29-year-old, who scored the winning goal in the Euro 2024 final against England, following Spain’s 3-0 friendly win against Serbia.
With now 27 goals in 55 international matches, Oyarzabal’s record in the national team jersey is strong in any case. But lately, he has upped his game even further, scoring ten times in his last eight appearances for La Furia Roja. «He is, so to speak, Spain’s Undav,» said MagentaTV expert Jürgen Klopp during the half-time break, drawing a comparison to the German national team’s super-sub who scored a brace to secure a 2-1 victory against Ivory Coast on Saturday.
Matchwinner Oyarzabal and Yamal — but Spain Impresses as a Whole in Counter-Pressing
The fact that de la Fuente substituted both Oyarzabal and Yamal at halftime to rest them against an already completely outmatched opponent underscores the duo’s value to the European champions. Oyarzabal nearly completed a hat-trick when, in the 36th minute, he beautifully stroked the ball with the outside of his foot towards the goal after an error by Saudi Arabia’s goalkeeper Mohammed Al-Owais, only to be denied by the crossbar.
While Yamal was in Oyarzabal’s shadow on Sunday, he was also fully convincing beyond his opening goal. Not just in possession, but above all in counter-pressing.
It was striking how fiercely and intensely the entire Spanish team immediately went into recovery mode after losing the ball, and this was an absolute key to their extreme dominance. «They keep getting into shooting situations, establishing themselves 20, 25 meters in front of the goal. Consequently, it’s a mission impossible for Saudi Arabia,» Klopp also praised Spain’s counter-pressing.
Saudi Arabia had no grip on the game for the full 90 minutes because the Spaniards simply did not allow it to their opponent – although they took their foot off the gas in the second half with a clear lead.
The Spanish media quickly retracted their sometimes harsh criticism following the botched World Cup opener. «This is really Spain now!» wrote As in an initial reaction. After the opener, the newspaper had mocked: «The big favorite for the title? We can safely set aside this headline.»
Spain vs. Saudi Arabia 4:0 (3:0) — Match Data
| Match | Spain vs. Saudi Arabia |
| Competition | 2026 World Cup, Group Stage, Matchday 2 |
| Result | 4:0 (3:0) |
| Goals | 1:0 Yamal (11.), 2:0, 3:0 Oyarzabal (21., 24.), 4:0 Al-Tambakti (49., own goal) |
| Venue | Atlanta (USA) |