Spain rebound as Yamal starts and Oyarzabal leads 4-0 win

Spain answered concerns from their opening draw by beating Saudi Arabia 4-0 in Group H in Atlanta. Lamine Yamal started, scored the first goal, and Mikel Oyarzabal struck twice as Spain moved back into a stronger tournament position.

The selection shift was significant. Luis de la Fuente made four changes, bringing in Yamal, Pedro Porro, Dani Olmo and Álex Baena, while Pedri operated deeper next to Rodri to give Spain more control in midfield. The result was a faster, sharper performance than the 0-0 draw with Cape Verde.

Yamal’s goal came at 18 years and 343 days old, a notable milestone after he had been limited to a substitute role in the previous match while recovering from a hamstring issue. He and Oyarzabal were both taken off at halftime with Spain already 3-0 ahead, suggesting the staff were also managing the game state and workload.

Oyarzabal’s contribution should not be lost in the focus on Yamal. He assisted the opener, scored twice, and was named MVP, continuing a productive run for Spain. The broader question now is whether this was a one-match reset against Saudi Arabia or the start of Spain finding the rhythm expected of a contender.