Oyarzabal double carries Spain past Austria and into last 16

Spain are through to the World Cup round of 16 after a 3-0 win over Austria, with Mikel Oyarzabal scoring twice at SoFi Stadium. Pedro Porro added Spain’s other goal as Luis de la Fuente’s side turned a potentially awkward knockout test into a controlled victory.

The result gives Spain a clearer sense of momentum after a group stage that had included a draw with Cape Verde. It also extends their unbeaten run to 34 matches and, according to the supplied report, marks Spain’s first World Cup knockout win since the 2010 final.

Oyarzabal’s finishing was the headline, but Spain’s wider performance also stood out. Marc Cucurella was involved in both of Oyarzabal’s goals, Álex Baena supplied Porro’s assist, and Unai Simón recorded another clean sheet behind a defence that has yet to concede at this tournament.

The younger core remains a major storyline. Lamine Yamal was influential without scoring, while he and Pau Cubarsí were cited in the source as part of a rare teenage starting duo in a World Cup knockout match. Spain now wait for either Portugal or Croatia, a step up that should test whether this performance was a one-off response or the start of a deeper run.