Lamine Yamal and Oyarzabal double fire Spain to 4-0 rout of Saudi Arabia

Lamine Yamal scored on his first World Cup start and Mikel Oyarzabal struck twice as Spain bounced back from their Cape Verde draw to thrash Saudi Arabia 4-0 in Atlanta. La Roja go top of Group H.

Spain answered their slow start in style, brushing Saudi Arabia aside 4-0 at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta to move top of Group H. The game was effectively over inside the first half hour, with Lamine Yamal and a quick-fire Mikel Oyarzabal brace doing the damage.

The teenager set the tone. Handed his first World Cup start, Yamal opened the scoring on ten minutes, turning in a chance laid on by Oyarzabal with the composure of a player twice his age. For all the hype around the Barcelona winger, this was his first World Cup goal, and it will not be his last.

Oyarzabal then took over. The Real Sociedad captain, who scored the winner in the Euro 2024 final, struck twice in three minutes. He converted Aymeric Laporte's delivery on twenty-one minutes and added a third on twenty-four after Dani Olmo picked him out. Three goals, three different providers, and a ruthless edge that had been missing in Spain's opener.

The fourth arrived early in the second half, Hassan Al-Tambakti turning a dangerous ball into his own net on forty-nine minutes. By then Spain were simply toying with their opponents, knocking the ball around with Pedri and Rodri pulling the strings in midfield.

The numbers underline the gulf. Spain had twenty-one shots to three and two thirds of the ball, and barely allowed Saudi Arabia out of their own half. Luis de la Fuente will be far happier than he was after the goalless draw with Cape Verde, a result that had raised a few questions about his side's cutting edge.

For Saudi Arabia, it was a chastening night. Salem Al-Dawsari tried to spark something on the break, but the Green Falcons could not get a foothold. After holding Uruguay in their opener, this was a reminder of the distance between the world's elite and the rest.

Spain go top of the group and look to have rediscovered their swagger at exactly the right time. After the frustration against Cape Verde, this was the kind of statement the tournament favourites needed, and our Europe round-one verdict had warned the rest of the continent that La Roja would come good.

For Kenyan fans, this was a showcase of the Spanish style everyone admires, all quick passing and clever movement, led by a teenager who plays without fear. Hawa Wahispania wanapenda kushikilia mpira: the Spanish love to keep the ball, and on this evidence, very few sides will enjoy chasing it.