{"id":16789,"date":"2026-06-21T20:31:31","date_gmt":"2026-06-21T20:31:31","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/siliconvalleymovingpost.com\/?p=16789"},"modified":"2026-06-21T20:31:31","modified_gmt":"2026-06-21T20:31:31","slug":"lamine-yamal-scores-in-first-world-cup-start-as-spain-routs-saudi-arabia","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/siliconvalleymovingpost.com\/?p=16789","title":{"rendered":"Lamine Yamal scores in first World Cup start as Spain routs Saudi Arabia"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n

By JAMES ROBSON<\/p>\n

AP Soccer Writer<\/p>\n

ATLANTA \u2014 Welcome to the World Cup, Lamine Yamal. Welcome to the World Cup, Spain.<\/p>\n

Read more Dodgers\u2019 Tommy Edman already feeling in \u2018pretty good midseason form\u2019<\/a><\/p>\n

Teenage superstar Yamal scored 10 minutes into his first start on soccer\u2019s biggest stage and Spain kickstarted its campaign with the 4-0 demolition of Saudi Arabia in Atlanta on Sunday.<\/p>\n

The 18-year-old forward slid in at the far post to touch home a low cross for the opening goal and became the eighth-youngest scorer in World Cup history. More importantly, he settled Spanish nerves after the European champion was held to a surprise 0-0 draw by Cape Verde in its opening game.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe first game wasn\u2019t really us, it was different, but now we\u2019ve arrived and we\u2019re going for more,\u201d Yamal said.<\/p>\n

In a tournament that has already seen Lionel Messi, Kylian Mbappe, Erling Haaland and Harry Kane get off to flying starts, Yamal\u2019s strike saw him join the party.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ve always dreamed of being at a World Cup, and being able to score in my first match as a starter is a dream,\u201d he said. \u201cI watched the last World Cup from a classroom so being able to score here with my mum and my family in the stands is a dream come true.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n<\/div>\n

The Barcelona winger is already considered one the world\u2019s top players and helped Spain win the European Championship in 2024 despite being just 16 years old when the tournament started. He is tipped to take over from Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo as the sport\u2019s biggest star but came into the World Cup with questions over his fitness after he missed the end of the season with a hamstring injury.<\/p>\n

Yamal, who was only used as a second-half substitute against Cape Verde, was thrown in from the start against Saudi Arabia and wasted no time in making his presence felt.<\/p>\n

He had already repeatedly sliced through the Saudi defense before turning home Mikel Oyarzabal\u2019s cross.<\/p>\n

Read more Angels manager Kurt Suzuki has long history with A\u2019s skipper Mark Kotsay<\/a><\/p>\n

A full house at Atlanta Stadium that was mainly filled with Spain fans erupted in celebration just at the sight of Yamal emerging for the pre-game warm up. And the cheers were even louder as he raced away to celebrate his goal, dropping to his knees, praying and kissing the turf.<\/p>\n

\n<\/div>\n

It was just the impact Spain coach Luis de la Fuente wanted from his star player, having been inundated with questions about when Yamal would be ready to start.<\/p>\n

Those questions felt even more anxious after Spain, one of the pre-tournament favorites, was shut out by Cape Verde.<\/p>\n

After all, Spain has failed to advance beyond the round of 16 since lifting the World Cup in 2010, winning just three games during that run.<\/p>\n

But Yamal\u2019s opener sparked a flurry of first-half goals. Oyarzabal, who was criticized for not touching the ball at all in the first 30 minutes against Cape Verde, not only provided the assist for Yamal, but scored two more with close range strikes in the 21st and 24th.<\/p>\n

So dominant was Spain\u2019s lead that De la Fuente had seen enough and took both his scorers off at halftime.<\/p>\n

Inside four minutes of the second half, the lead was extended when Marc Cucurella\u2019s shot rebounded off Hassan Altambakti for an own goal.<\/p>\n

Read more Ukrainian attacks prompt Russian-held Crimea to halt civilian gasoline sales<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Teenage superstar scored 10 minutes into his the match to kickstart the 4-0 victory in Atlanta.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":16788,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[43,2],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-16789","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-based-on-facts-either-observed-and-verified-directly-by-the-reporter-or-reported-and-verified-from-knowledgeable-sources","category-news"],"yoast_head":"\nLamine Yamal scores in first World Cup start as Spain routs Saudi Arabia - Silicon Valley Moving Post<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/siliconvalleymovingpost.com\/?p=16789\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Lamine Yamal scores in first World Cup start as Spain routs Saudi Arabia - 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