It's been a day of unbridled joy in the Spanish camp, as La Roja delivered a thumping reminder of their World Cup pedigree with a 4-1 demolition of Saudi Arabia in their opening match. The fireworks had barely fizzled out on the pitch before the post-match celebrations got underway – and what a show it was! Goals from Lamine Yamal and Mikel Oyarzabal, who netted twice to take his tally to a cool three for the tournament, left no doubt about Spain's intentions in this competition.
The young guns were on fire, with Yamal, at just 18 years and 343 days old, bagging the opening goal ten minutes into his first start since recovering from that hamstring injury. This made him the eighth youngest goalscorer in World Cup history – a statistic as impressive as it is mind-boggling. And Oyarzabal? Well, he's been on a roll, and this was no exception. His two goals and assist within the opening 25 minutes have cemented his status as one of the players to watch in this tournament.
With such a commanding lead, Spain's coach Luis de la Fuente could afford to give some of his stars a breather – and he did just that in the second half, introducing Mikel Merino and Nico Williams into the fray. But despite the introduction of fresh legs, it was business as usual for La Roja – and the Saudis, who had been given hope with a late goal only to have it disallowed by VAR, were left to wonder what might have been.
The heat on the pitch was palpable, but even that couldn't stop Spain's momentum. Coach de la Fuente praised his team's performance, saying, "It was a statement of intent – a way for us to reclaim our place and give continuity to the project we've been working on." He also had kind words for Rodri and the centre-backs, who put in a rock-solid shift.
The win sets Spain up nicely for their next challenge against Uruguay – but don't count the Saudis out just yet. They've still got one foot in the door with two games to play.