Lamine Yamal scored his first World Cup goal within 10 minutes of his first World Cup start as the Spain star grabbed the opening goal against Saudi Arabia in Atalanta.
The 18-year-old entered the tournament with a hamstring injury and only featured off the bench against Cape Verde, playing 19 minutes as Spain made a stuttering start. The European champions were held to a surprising 0-0 by Cape Verde, whose heroic goalkeeper denied La Roja time and again.
Still, Spain were heavy favourites to pick up their first win in Group H, having entered the tournament as one of the most-fancied sides, and Yamal gave them lift-off as he met an excellent cross from Mikel Oyarzabal at the back post.
Striker Oyarzabal then scored a quickfire double before the first hydration break - first flicking in a clever finish with the outside of his boot before pouncing at the back post - to leave Spain in an extremely comfortable position.
Follow all the action from Group H with our live blog below
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Spain vs Saudi Arabia LIVE
- Lamine Yamal scores first World Cup goal to spark statement Spain display | live on BBC One
- '23 GOAL! Mikel Oyarzabal quickly adds second with Spain flying [ESP 3-0 SAU]
- '21 GOAL! Oyarzabal produces clever close-range finish to double lead [ESP 2-0 SAU]
- '11 GOAL! Lamine Yamal scores first World Cup goal on first start [ESP 1-0 SAU]
- Spain were held to shock 0-0 draw by Cape Verde in opening game
- Team news: Lamine Yamal starts for Spain as he recovers from injury
Half-time: Spain 3 - 0 Saudi Arabia
17:56 , James HickenA totally dominant first half from Spain with over 17 shots and and 70 per cent possession its no surprise they have a three goal lead at the break.
It’s not just an attacking masterclass from the European champions, they are stunting any signs of an attack from Saudi Arabia with tenacious off the ball work.
Spain 3 - 0 Saudi Arabia
17:52 , James Hicken45+3 mins: A quick counter attack force Spain to concede a throw in, deep in their own half which lead to Saudi Arabia’s first shot in the game, more positive for the trailing team.
Spain 3 - 0 Saudi Arabia
17:44 , James Hicken41 mins: First sniff of an attack for Saudi Arabia as Musab Al Juwayr plays a ball into the box and Unai Simon collides with one of his defenders, almost creating a chance at an open goal.
Spain 3 - 0 Saudi Arabia
17:39 , James Hicken36 mins: It almost the hat-trick for Oyarzabal as Al-Owais makes a save and follows the ball, but it lands at the Spaniard’s feet, who tried an audacious outside of the foot curler from a tight angle but is denied by the crossbar.
Spain 3 - 0 Saudi Arabia
17:35 , James Hicken33 mins: Saudi Arabia are falling into every defensive trap Spain are setting, they simply cannot get their heads up and can only play hopeful passes that are being easily intercepted
Spain 3 - 0 Saudi Arabia
17:29 , James HickenHydration break: Yamal is having the impact every Spain fan was hoping he would.
Poor Saudi Arabia cannot get out of their own half and are being attacked from every angle. Oyarzabal is finding himself on the ball much more to his and his team’s delight
Goal! Spain 3 - 0 Saudi Arabia
17:26 , James Hicken23 mins: Oyarzabal strikes again within two minutes of his first, with a strikers finish at the near post.
Spain proving any doubters wrong here, these are the reigning European Champions!
Goal! Spain 2 - 0 Saudi Arabia
17:24 , James Hicken21 mins: Total domination from Spain here, a half cleared corner is pounced upon by Oyarzabal bringing it down with a deft touch inside the six yard box before poking it past the keeper.
Goal! Spain 1 - 0 Saudi Arabia
17:13 , James Hicken10 mins: Just minutes into his first World Cup start and he has his first goal - Yamal finds himself on the end of a wonderful cross from Oyarzabal.
Spain 0 - 0 Saudi Arabia
17:10 , James Hicken8 mins: First corner of the game and Spain try a set play with the ball being whipped out to Dani Olmo on the edge of the area who mishits the volley far over the bar.
Spain 0 - 0 Saudi Arabia
17:08 , James Hicken5 mins: Spain are probing already, with success running up both wings and swinging in a cross or two. They are clearly looking to break through early to prevent another Cape Verde situation.
Kick-off: Spain 0-0 Saudi Arabia
17:03 , James HickenSaudi Arabia line-up with a conservative back-five to try and keep Spain at bay. Yamal immediately makes an impact, shrugging off a defender before whipping in a decent ball to be cleared away.
Both sets of fans out in force
16:57 , James Hicken
Saudi Arabia's possession problem
16:50 , James HickenDespite leaving the game against Uruguay with a valuable point, they only had 33 per cent possession, which against a team like Spain, who are known for their passing football, could present some serious problems.
But the other side of that coin is to be able to convert with such little possession and only three shots in the game, does show that if they can hold Spain off, they can give themselves a chance on the counter-attack.
Players out on the pitch ahead of kick-off
16:40 , James Hicken
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Luis de la Fuente compares Lamine Yamal to Salvador Dali and Michelangelo
16:24 , Jamie BraidwoodSpain boss Luis de la Fuente said he did not want to compare 18-year-old Lamine Yamal to Lionel Messi or Diego Maradona - but had no problem comparing the teenager to “geniuses” Salvador Dali and Michelangelo.
“The worst mistake we could make would be to compare him to anyone,” De la Fuente said. “He is the midst of a process. He has exceptional footballing maturity and lives it all with total naturalness. He has great serenity and strength. We have to let him follow his path but those players who have something different are ready for that.
“They are geniuses, like Dali can paint a picture, or Michelangelo. They’re different. What is exceptional to us, isn’t to them. In those extremes, they feel comfortable. Why? Because they are different. What we think is exceptional, they consider normal.”
Where do Spain stand in our World Cup power rankings?
16:14 , Will CastleThe near-unanimous favourite among our writers to lift the World Cup, Spain have gotten off to a pretty rocky start after being held to a 0-0 draw by debutants Cape Verde. This means they miss out on top spot in our power rankings, which would’ve probably been theirs if they had won, though a little bit of leeway can be given due to their lingering injury problems in the opener. Both Lamine Yamal and Nico Williams had to start on the bench, but each man did make a substitute cameo, which hints that they could be ready to play a greater role for the rest of the group stage.
World Cup 2026 power rankings: England and France make statements after round one
World Cup 2026: Spain v Saudi Arabia head-to-head
16:05 , Jamie BraidwoodSpain have won all three matches they have played against Saudi Arabia, with their last meeting coming in a friendly in September 2012.
They have met once before on the World Cup stage, which finished as a 1-0 win for Spain at the 2006 World Cup.
Juanito scored the winner in Kaiserslauten, in what was the first ever meeting between Spain and Saudi Arabia.
Saudi Arabia team news
16:04 , Jamie BraidwoodSaudi Arabia line up with a back five and a very defensive minded formation as they look to replicate Cape Verde’s approach from the opening game. Defender Ali Lajami comes into the side, while Nasser Al-Dawsari is also called into midfield.
Saudi Arabia XI: Al-Owais; Abdulhamid, Tambakti, Al-Amri, Al-Harbi, Ali Lajami; N Al-Dawsari, Al-Juwayr, Al-Khaibari; Al-Buraikan, S Al-Dawsari
Hero Cape Verde goalkeeper Vozinha to be reunited with mother at World Cup
15:58 , Jamie BraidwoodVozinha, the 40-year-old Cape Verde goalkeeper whose man-of-the-match performance denied Spain in one of the biggest World Cup shocks of all time, will be reunited with his mother at the tournament after the cost of her visa to the US was waived.
Vozinha made seven saves as minnows Cape Verde held Spain, one of the World Cup favourites, to a 0-0 draw in Atlanta. His heroic performance in his World Cup debut resulted in his Instagram following exploding from just over 50,000 to over 12 million.
The goalkeeper was in tears at full-time, however, as he mourned the fact that neither his late grandparents or his mother were at the stadium to witness his performance. Vozinha said his mother was unable to secure a visa to travel to the US because she couldn’t afford to pay a returnable bond of $15,000 (£11,200).
Hero Cape Verde goalkeeper Vozinha to be reunited with mother at World Cup
Lamine Yamal not concerned by Spain's opening draw with Cape Verde
15:47 , Jamie BraidwoodSpain star Lamine Yamal said the goalless draw against Cape Verde did not say anything about their World Cup chances, but accepted La Roja had to beat Saudi Arabia following the “fuss” that followed the opening stalemate.
“There was a fuss about a draw and, in the end, many teams drew, it doesn’t mean anything,” Yamal told RTVE. “For me, winning 6-0 in the first match is pointless. Obviously, we have to win on Sunday because we are among the favourites and we have to win.”
Spain team news: Lamine Yamal starts
15:27 , Jamie BraidwoodThe big news from Spain is that Lamine Yamal STARTS against Saudi Arabia. He may not play the full match, but he starts a World Cup game for the first time after recovering from his hamstring injury.
He is one of four changes from the 0-0 against Cape Verde. Tottenham’s Pedro Porro replaces Marcos Llorente at right back, Dani Olmo comes in for Fabian Ruiz in midfield, Yamal takes the place of Ferran Torres, and Alex Baena is given the nod ahead of Gavi on the left, with Nico Williams still unavailable for the European champions.
Spain XI: Simon; Pedro Porro, Cubarsi, Laporte, Cucurella; Olmo, Rodri, Pedri; Lamine Yamal, Oyarazabal, Alex Baena.
World Cup 2026: A big day for Spain in Group H
15:09 , Jamie BraidwoodAfter Cape Verde managed to secure a point against Spain, Uruguay sit top of Group H with Saudi Arabia second. Cape Verde are third and Spain, the favourites to win the whole tournament, are fourth.
Spain would love to get a first win of the tournament against Saudi Arabia. Imagine if they had to beat Uruguay on the final round to advance?
Who will win the World Cup?
15:07 , Jamie BraidwoodLast time out: Uruguay hit back to deny Saudi Arabia victory
14:50 , Jamie BraidwoodMaxi Araujo rescued a point for Uruguay to deny Saudi Arabia another famous World Cup win as the sides drew 1-1 in Miami.
The Saudis, who shocked eventual winners Argentina in their opener at the last World Cup 2026, went ahead through Abdulelah Al-Amri in the first half but came under sustained pressure late on and failed to hold out against the two-time winners.
Saudi Arabia denied famous win as Uruguay comeback clinches draw
Last time out: Spain held to shock draw by Cape Verde
14:31 , Richard JollyIt may be of scant consolation to Spain that it is far from the first time they entered a World Cup among the favourites and got an immediate and unpleasant surprise. In 2014, as now, they crossed the Atlantic as reigning European champions. Then they were World Cup holders, too. Their tournament started with a 5-1 evisceration by the Netherlands. An era ended.
A dozen years on, Spain at least have a point on the board. But has a draw ever provided a greater shock in the World Cup? If so, not many. Historically, anyway, draws seemed anathema to Americans but if anything can convert the doubters to the beauty of a stalemate it is Spain 0 Cape Verde 0.
How Cape Verde pulled off an astonishing and unexpected draw with Spain
Spain boss doesn't expect Lamine Yamal to play the full game
14:12 , Jamie BraidwoodManager Luis de la Fuente said he did not expect Lamine Yamal to play the full game against Saudi Arabia, hinting that Spain will have to limit his minutes as he continues to come back from a hamstring injury.
“He is at the point where we have stop him, hold him back,” De La Fuente said. “He has to do the things he has to do at this stage in the process. He enjoys playing so much.
“We see him train and it’s a joy, the way he is, the way he competes, the spirit and sharpness he has. The best news of all is that he is available and in a good moment.”
Lamine Yamal not expected to start Spain's second World Cup game
14:05 , Jamie BraidwoodLamine Yamal saw the last 19 minutes of action during Spain’s shock 0-0 draw with Cape Verde, and was unable to inject creativity into Spain’s attack as they failed to beat the World Cup debutants.
He is not expecting to start against Saudi Arabia as he continues to recover from a hamstring injury suffered a couple of minutes before the tournament. The teenager is also prepared to be patient.
“It’s too soon, it’s unnecessary,” Yamal told RTVE. “I’m in an adaptation process, it’s not the time to play a full match, but I can play as many minutes as the manager wants.”
How to watch Spain v Saudi Arabia and kick-off time
14:01 , Jamie BraidwoodWhen is Spain v Saudi Arabia?
Spain and Saudi Arabia is at 5pm BST on Sunday 21 June (12pm ET) in Atlanta.
How can I watch it?
Viewers in the UK can watch the match free-to-air on BBC1 with coverage starting at 4:30pm BST. It can also be live-streamed on BBC iPlayer.
Good afternoon and welcome
14:00 , Jamie BraidwoodSpain return to action at the World Cup and will look to get back to winning ways as they take on Saudi Arabia in Group H.
The European champions were held to a shock 0-0 draw by Cape Verde in their opening game, with star player Lamine Yamal limited to only the final 19 minutes from the bench.
The 18-year-old is not expected to start against Saudi Arabia, who also drew their opening match, 1-1 to Uruguay.
Saudi Arabia, who famously upset Argentina at the last World Cup, are bidding to get out of the group stage for the first time since 1994.
