Spain needed an immediate response following the doubts raised by its debut in the 2026 World Cup, and it found one thanks to its biggest rising star. Lamine Yamal finally shines at the 2026 World Cup. With an inspired Lamine Yamal leading the way and a lethal Mikel Oyarzabal in front of the net, the team coached by Luis de la Fuente routed Saudi Arabia 4-0 in Atlanta and made a statement that puts them back among the teams to watch in the tournament.
After facing criticism following the first match, the Spanish team put on a much more dynamic, aggressive, and effective performance. Lamine Yamal’s return to the starting lineup completely changed the team’s outlook and confirmed a feeling that many already shared: Spain is a different team when the young FC Barcelona talent is on the field.
Lamine Yamal made a difference from the very first minute
🇪🇸🇸🇦 | Lamine Yamal’s celebration—in the form of an Islamic prostration—during the Spain vs. Saudi Arabia match has sparked controversy on social media. pic.twitter.com/ouMODRv5fm
– ʜᴇʀQʟᴇs (@herqles_es). June 21, 2026
The 18-year-old forward was a constant nightmare for the Saudi defense.
From the very first minutes, he demonstrated his ability to create opportunities, open up space, and speed up Spain’s offensive play.
His influence was quickly reflected on the scoreboard.
In the 10th minute, he opened the scoring with his first World Cup goal, sparking euphoria among the thousands of Spanish fans in the Atlanta stadium.
Beyond the goal, Yamal played an active role in the team’s offensive build-up and was instrumental in restoring speed and depth to the Spanish attack.
His performance was so decisive that he barely needed to play 45 minutes to become the star of the game.
Oyarzabal Responds to Criticism with a Brace
“We can’t win the World Cup; we don’t have a top-tier striker.”
That total asshole Mikel Oyarzabal and his distorted reality:pic.twitter.com/Gqq2CaOxV5
— Rеvеn (@RevenRV) June 21, 2026
While Lamine was the driving force behind the team, Mikel Oyarzabal was the one who turned those chances into goals.
The Spanish forward went into the match in question after a surprising statistic from his World Cup debut, when he went half an hour without touching the ball.
However, it responded forcefully against Saudi Arabia.
He scored first in the 21st minute, and just three minutes later he scored again to extend Spain’s lead.
With those goals, he reached 27 goals for the national team, tying Fernando Morientes for second place on Spain’s all-time scoring list.
Spain is now looking to Uruguay
Mikel Oyarzabal’s calm demeanor after being named man of the match. pic.twitter.com/jHkg0e0yye
— Kike Marin** (@Kike_Marin_) June 21, 2026
The fourth goal came on an own goal by Hassan Altambakti, following an offensive play set up by Marc Cucurella.
With the victory secured, Luis de la Fuente took the opportunity to manage his players’ energy levels and give playing time to players such as Nico Williams, Mikel Merino, and Yeremy Pino.
The rout is not just about three valuable points.
It also restores confidence to a national team that is seeking to regain its international prominence and go into its next match against Uruguay on June 26 in a stronger position.
Spain rediscovered itself.
And much of that transformation has a name and surname: Lamine Yamal.
Filed under: Lamine Yamal Shines at the 2026 World Cup