Lamine Yamal scored the opening goal for Spain in their Group H World Cup match against Saudi Arabia on Sunday, finally giving the 2010 winners their first win of the summer tournament.
The 18-year-old Barcelona forward struck in the first half at Atlanta Stadium, where kick-off was at 12pm local time (5pm BST). The goal was the moment Spain had been waiting for after a goalless draw in their opening fixture.
“Lamine Yamal scored the opener as Spain beat Saudi Arabia 1-0 for their first World Cup 2026 win.”
Spain coach Luis De La Fuente had warned beforehand that his side would be a different proposition. “This generation of footballers is highly competitive and really fired up,” he said at his pre-match press conference on Saturday. “It’s going to be a completely different story. There is no drama or crisis. The bottom line is simply that we need to win tomorrow.”
De La Fuente made four changes to the starting XI from the previous game, bringing in Yamal, Pedro Porro, Dani Olmo and Alex Baena, with Marcos Llorente, Fabian Ruiz, Ferran Torres and Gavi dropping out.
The first half belonged to Mikel Oyarzabal, according to reports, though Alex Baena also impressed. Victor Munoz, the new Liverpool signing, was missing with an injury.
Saudi Arabia, who had also drawn their opening match, were unable to cope with Spain’s intensity. The win puts Spain in a strong position to advance from Group H.
The match was broadcast live on BBC One in the UK, with coverage starting at 4.30pm. Fans could also stream the game via BBC iPlayer or the BBC Sport website. In the US, English-language coverage was on FOX and FOX One, with Spanish-language options on Telemundo and Peacock. Radio commentary was available on BBC Radio 5 Live and talkSPORT.
Spain will now look to build on this victory as the tournament progresses.