SPORTSWORLD.AM
In the next round of the group stage of the 2026 World Cup, the reigning European champion Spain gave the fans a real football performance, mercilessly taking revenge on the Saudi Arabian team and reaffirming its ambitions to win the group.
The starting storm and the benefit of Oyarzabal
From the very start of the match, the 18-year-old talent of the Spaniards (Lamin Yamal) brought explosive energy to the attack of “La Roja” on the field. The young striker’s activity paid off in the opening 10 minutes, when he finished off Mikel Oyarzabal’s pass with a precise shot at the far post, opening the scoring.
The shocked Saudi Arabian team did not have time to recover when they made another mistake in their own penalty area: after a corner kick, the defenders were unable to clear the ball, and Oyarzabal, who had caught up with him, doubled the advantage of the European champions.
The outcome of the game was essentially decided in the 23rd minute. Oyarzabal was once again the fastest to navigate his way into the opponent's penalty area and, after a pass from Dani Olmo, sent the ball into the net. The "Green Falcons" were in the knockout stage, and before the referee announced the first water break for the players, the Arab team was already losing 3-0.
The Spanish attack continued throughout the first half. Oyarzabal could have scored a hat-trick when Saudi goalkeeper Mohammed Al-Owais gave him the ball. However, the Spanish striker's delicate shot hit the crossbar and bounced back.
Fortuna is on the Spanish side: the fourth goal and the changes
The break did not break the Spanish team's momentum either. Five minutes into the second half, the score was 4-0, albeit with a bit of luck. After a powerful shot by Marc Cucurella, Al-Owais made an excellent save, but the ball unfortunately hit defender Hassan Tambakti and ended up in the goal, registering as an own goal.
Having secured a huge advantage, Spain's head coach Luis de la Fuente allowed himself the luxury of taking the leading players, Yamal, Oyarzabal, and Pedri, off the field, which slightly reduced the team's attacking pace.
Substitute Ferran Torres missed a good chance to make it even bigger, going one-on-one with the goalkeeper and shooting wide. Torres was again unlucky in added time as the referee turned the ball in after a cross from Pedro Porro, but after a lengthy VAR review the goal was disallowed for a minor offside.