Spain responded emphatically to their unexpected goalless draw with Cape Verde by thrashing Saudi Arabia 4-0 on June 21, 2026, at the Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, moving to the top of Group H [1, 2]. The win came six days after Spain had 27 shots but failed to score against Cape Verde in their opening Group H game on June 15, 2026, a result widely criticized given Spain was expected to win and advance comfortably with Uruguay [3, 4, 5, 6].

Lamine Yamal, returning from injury, started for Spain and scored his first World Cup goal in the 10th minute, assisted by Mikel Oyarzabal, who later scored twice in the 21st and 24th minutes [1]. Spain’s lead was further extended early in the second half via an own goal by Saudi Arabia’s Hassan Altambakti [1]. Saudi Arabia had held Uruguay to a 1-1 draw in their opening game on June 15, setting the stage for a tense group with all four teams earning one point after the first round [3, 7, 8, 4, 9].

Before the match, Spain’s winger Lamine Yamal and Nico Williams were returning from injury, making their participation uncertain. Spain’s coach Luis de la Fuente said Yamal was feeling well but cautioned about his minutes, saying, "He’s feeling well, that's the best news. We will see how many minutes he should play" [7]. Yamal himself said, "I’m fine, I’m feeling good, but it’s too soon... I want to be on the pitch; even if you know you can’t play for 90 minutes, you always want to get out there and help the team" [6]. Saudi Arabia’s coach Georgios Donis said Spain played differently without Yamal or Williams, noting, "Spain is not the same team when Yamal or Williams are on the bench... they lack the individual one-on-one penetration when these two are missing" and referenced Spain’s struggle against Cape Verde [7].

Spain’s opening game drew criticism partly due to the high shot count but lack of finishing. Coach de la Fuente acknowledged, "Maybe the fact that it was the first game conditioned things" [5]. Spain’s Borja Iglesias shared a lighter moment about the tournament’s security, recounting how he forgot his accreditation and was jokingly teased by Yamal [5].

Due to an extreme heat warning forecasting temperatures up to 40C in Madrid on June 21, the public screening of Spain’s match was canceled in the city [10].

Spain will look to maintain their form in the coming Group H matches as the tournament progresses.