Luis de la Fuente said he wanted a new jumper for his birthday but this was even better. On the day the Spain coach turned 65, his players gifted him the perfect afternoon in Atlanta, the doubts from their opener blown away. Unable to find a way through in 97 minutes against Cape Verde, this time they had celebrated putting three goals past Saudi Arabia before the first drinks break. Life is there to be enjoyed, Lamine Yamal had said, so they did. By the end it was four and it couldn’t have worked out any nicer.
The 18-year-old, whom De la Fuente likened to Salvador Dalí and Michelangelo, scored 10 minutes into his first World Cup start – his first start since suffering a hamstring injury in April. The goal came after Álex Baena’s neat pass with the outside of the boot set Mikel Oyarzabal free to deliver across the six-yard box, and Yamal slotted home from close range. Oyarzabal added two more in the first “quarter”, and Marc Cucurella forced the fourth on 49 minutes.
“Lamine Yamal scored 10 minutes into his first World Cup start as Spain beat Saudi Arabia 4-0 in Atlanta.”
This was exactly the way the coach would have wished it. Victory was secured so early that De la Fuente could withdraw those players who needed protecting and give minutes to those that needed them, Mikel Merino and Nico Williams invited to join the party too. Unai Simón was the last to arrive, not making a significant save until the 80th minute.
There were changes in personnel and structure from that first, disappointing day, but above all in personality: intense and aggressive, Spain were Spain again. “The ball ran,” De la Fuente said. The new starters, Pedro Porro, Álex Baena and Dani Olmo, all made an impact. From the first minute, Yamal’s presence changed everything. He got on the ball more than anyone in the first five minutes, and his Cruyff turn after 41 seconds enabled him to escape Salem al‑Dawsari. With him drawing everyone in, Spain cut through Saudi Arabia on the other wing, where the opener came. By the end, it was four and the doubts were gone.