Spain responded emphatically to early criticism at the 2026 FIFA World Cup with a commanding 4-0 victory over Saudi Arabia in their Group H clash at the Mercedes-Benz Stadium on Sunday.
After a disappointing opening result against Cape Verde that raised questions about their campaign, La Roja delivered an attacking masterclass in front of 68,239 fans to revive their hopes and send a strong message to the rest of the tournament.
Teen sensation Lamine Yamal set the tone early, opening the scoring in the 10th minute. Making his first World Cup start, the young forward latched onto a low cross from Mikel Oyarzabal and calmly finished from a difficult angle to register his maiden World Cup goal.
The breakthrough sparked Spain into life as Mikel Oyarzabal took control of proceedings with two goals in quick succession.
The forward doubled Spain’s advantage in the 21st minute after reacting fastest inside the box before adding his second just three minutes later with a composed finish to make it 3-0 before the first hydration break.
Oyarzabal nearly completed his hat-trick later in the half but saw his effort crash against the crossbar after capitalising on a misplaced pass from Saudi goalkeeper Mohammed Al Owais.
With the game virtually secured, Spain manager Luis de la Fuente made changes at halftime, withdrawing both Yamal and Oyarzabal to conserve energy for tougher fixtures ahead.
Spain maintained control after the restart and added a fourth goal in the 49th minute in unfortunate circumstances for Saudi Arabia. A save from Al Owais following Marc Cucurella’s effort rebounded off defender Hassan Al Tambakti and into his own net.
La Roja believed they had added a fifth in stoppage time when Ferran Torres converted from close range, but the goal was disallowed after a lengthy VAR review confirmed an offside infringement.
The victory lifts Spain to the top of Group H ahead of the later fixture between Uruguay and Cape Verde, while Saudi Arabia drop to the bottom of the standings.
Spain’s emphatic display also marked an important response after their slow start, restoring confidence and putting their World Cup campaign firmly back on track.
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