Yamal and Oyarzabal blitz sends Spain past Saudi Arabia and into the last 32
A Lamine Yamal strike and a quickfire Mikel Oyarzabal double had Spain coasting by half-time as they beat Saudi Arabia 4-0 in Atlanta to top Group H and reach the World Cup knockout rounds.
Jun 21, 2026
Spain needed a response after their flat opener, and they got one inside half an hour. Goals from Lamine Yamal and a quickfire Mikel Oyarzabal double had the game won by the interval in Atlanta on Sunday, and a 4-0 stroll past Saudi Arabia sent La Roja top of Group H and through to the last 32.
Yamal sets the tone early
Luis de la Fuente’s side had laboured to a goalless draw with debutants Cape Verde in their first match, so the urgency was obvious from the first whistle. It paid off in the tenth minute. Oyarzabal slipped the ball into the path of Yamal, who took a touch and finished low past the goalkeeper for his first goal of the tournament on his first start.
At 18, Yamal carried the threat that Saudi Arabia never managed to contain. He was at the heart of almost everything Spain created down the right, and the early goal settled any nerves that the Cape Verde stalemate might have left behind.
Oyarzabal’s quickfire double
The match was effectively over by the 24th minute. Oyarzabal turned in a rebound to make it 2-0 in the 21st minute, then struck again moments later after Dani Olmo picked him out inside the box. Two quick goals turned a comfortable afternoon into a rout, and Saudi Arabia had no way back.
The fourth arrived early in the second half, Hassan Al-Tambakti turning the ball into his own net in the 49th minute under pressure. With the points secure, De la Fuente withdrew both Yamal and Oyarzabal, sparing his two key men ahead of a heavier schedule and a tougher group finale.
Spain top the group with Uruguay to come
The win moves Spain to four points and confirms their place in the knockout rounds. Saudi Arabia, who had earned a creditable draw with Uruguay in their opener, stay on a single point and now face an anxious wait. Spain close the group stage against Uruguay, a fixture that will decide who finishes first in Group H, though De la Fuente will be glad to head into it with qualification already banked and his attack rested.
For all the talk before the tournament about whether this Spain side could turn dominance into goals, an hour against Saudi Arabia offered the clearest answer yet. Yamal looks ready for the big stage and Oyarzabal is finishing his chances. La Roja are up and running.