Sunday evening’s opening match at the 2026 World Cup featured Spain taking on Saudi Arabia.
The European champions immediately took control from the first whistle and had effectively settled the contest well before the first hydration break.
In the 10th minute, following a brilliant pass from Oyarzabal down the left flank, Yamal finished from close range at the far post to make it 1-0.
Just ten minutes later, after a corner kick, the ball bounced wildly around the penalty area before finally reaching Oyarzabal, who calmly slotted it home from close range to double the lead.
Shortly after, following a headed flick-on from Cucurella, Olmo set up Oyarzabal once again, allowing him to complete his brace with another close-range finish, putting Spain 3-0 up. The referee then called for the teams to take a break and refresh.
Before halftime, Oyarzabal came close to completing a hat-trick. First, he struck the crossbar with the outside of his foot after a goalkeeper error. Then, he received the ball following a ricochet just two meters from the corner of the goal area but missed the target from a tight angle.
The second half had barely begun when the scoreline extended to 4-0. After a corner delivery, Cucurella struck a volley which was parried by the goalkeeper, only for the ball to deflect off Tambakti and roll into the net as an own goal.
Later, Ferran Torres entered the field, continuing his run of misfortune. His initial powerful shot from inside the box was saved by Al-Uwais. His next attempt was also unsuccessful. After a pass from Merino, Torres found himself one-on-one with the keeper but somehow missed the far corner. Finally, he scored in stoppage time, but the goal was disallowed for offside, leaving the score unchanged.
2026 World Cup
Spain 4-0 Saudi Arabia (3-0)
