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Oyarzabal's Dominant Performance Secures Spain's Qualification for Round of Sixteen
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Spain crushed Saudi Arabia 4–0 on June 21 at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, securing qualification for the Round of 32 of the 2026 FIFA World Cup. The match was decided in the first 30 minutes, with Mikel Oyarzabal scoring twice and setting up Lamine Yamal's first-ever World Cup goal. Infobae reported Spain finished with 72% possession and zero yellow cards.
The win erases the fallout from Spain's dull 0–0 draw against Cabo Verde six days earlier. That opener had made headlines for all the wrong reasons — including a stat showing Oyarzabal went 30 minutes without touching the ball.
Oyarzabal Scores Twice in Three Minutes to Seal It
The scoring opened in the 10th minute. Oyarzabal played a sharp pass to Lamine Yamal, who finished to make it 1–0. Eleven minutes later, Oyarzabal pounced on a defensive rebound to score Spain's second. Then, in the 24th minute — just three minutes later — he completed his brace after a slick team move involving Marc Cucurella and Dani Olmo. Spain led 3–0 before the half hour mark.
In the 50th minute, a Cucurella shot deflected off Saudi defender Hassan Al-Tombakti into his own net to complete the rout. Infobae noted that Oyarzabal's two goals brought his international tally to 27 — tying Fernando Morientes as the seventh all-time top scorer for Spain.
Yamal's Return Transformed Spain's Attack Completely
Saudi Arabia coach Georgios Donis had publicly said before the match that Spain was "less of a threat" without Lamine Yamal and Nico Williams starting wide. Luis de la Fuente responded by starting both Yamal and Álex Baena on the wings, according to El Comentario. The result made Donis's prediction look badly wrong.
Analysts noted that Yamal and Baena's width stretched Saudi Arabia's defensive shape. This gave Dani Olmo room to operate as an attacking playmaker in the middle. The Saudi defense, playing a high line, gave up space behind it all night. Spanish media called the opening 30 minutes "beastly" — a level of intensity not seen since Spain's Euro 2024 run.
De la Fuente Celebrates His Birthday with a Historic Unbeaten Run
June 21 also happened to be head coach Luis de la Fuente's birthday. He made four changes from the Cabo Verde draw — bringing in Pedro Porro, Álex Baena, Dani Olmo, and Yamal. After the match he said, "I never doubted these players. We have won everything together, and we know how to respond to pressure," according to Infobae.
AS.com reported that the win extended De la Fuente's unbeaten run to 30 official matches, surpassing Spain's legendary 2010–2013 streak. With qualification secure, he used the final minutes to give debut World Cup time to Yeremy Pino and rest key players like Nico Williams and Mikel Merino.
Spain Tops Group H, Uruguay Clash Decides Top Spot
Spain now sits first in Group H with 4 points and a goal difference of +4. El Español reported that Spain's top-place finish will be confirmed pending the result of Uruguay versus Cabo Verde. A draw against Uruguay in the final group game would likely be enough for Spain to win the group outright.
The 2026 World Cup is the first edition with 48 teams, which added the new Round of 32 stage before the traditional Round of 16. Spain's dominant group-stage form has already sent ticket prices for knockout-round matches in New York and Dallas higher, as thousands of Spanish fans are expected to follow La Roja deeper into the tournament.
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