Lamine Yamal has opened his World Cup account in spectacular fashion, sliding in to redirect a brilliant assist from Mikel Oyarzabal to put Spain on the board against Saudi Arabia. The historic strike marks the teenage phenom’s first career World Cup goal and gives the Europeans their first breakthrough of the 2026 tournament.
Following a frustrating, lackluster draw against Cape Verde, Spain are desperate to bounce back in Group H play under a heavy wave of domestic scrutiny. Facing immense pressure after dropping points in the opening round, La Roja knows a decisive victory over Saudi Arabia is absolutely vital to get their 2026 World Cup campaign back on track.
Meanwhile, Yamal continues to rewrite the record books for Spain, solidifying his place as one of the youngest goalscorers in World Cup history as he approaches his 19th birthday. He falls just short of the all-time national record held by his Barcelona teammate Gavi, who famously found the net at 18 years and 110 days old.
The teenage sensation is primed to spearhead Spain’s attack after being surprisingly underutilized for the majority of the opener against Cape Verde. Now inserted into the starting lineup, his presence completely shifts the dynamic for a team still heavily favored to contend for the World Cup title.
Spain’s top 5 youngest scorers
With Spain’s Yamal scoring with 18 years, 11 months, and 8 days old, he became the second youngest goal scorer in history of the team, with Gavi in the first place. Let’s review the top 5 youngest scorers:
- Gavi 18 years, 110 days – Spain 7–0 Costa Rica
- Lamine Yamal 18 years, 343 days – Spain vs. Saudi Arabia
- Cesc Fabregas 19 years, 41 days – Spain 4–0 Ukraine
- Raul 20 years 351 days – Spain 2–3 Nigeria
- Fernando Torres 22 years, 86 days – Spain 4–0 Ukraine
