Lamine Yamal continued his meteoric rise by matching a 68-year-old FIFA World Cup record during Spain’s Group stage clash against Saudi Arabia on Sunday. The 18-year-old sensation scored just 10 minutes into the encounter at Atlanta Stadium, becoming only the second player aged 18 or younger to score the opening goal in a World Cup match.
The first player to achieve the feat was Brazilian icon Pele, who was 17 years old when he scored Brazil’s opening goal against Wales during the 1958 FIFA World Cup on June 19, 1958.
The Barcelona star also registered his first-ever FIFA World Cup goal and further strengthened his growing reputation as one of football’s brightest young talents.
Lamine Yamal Scores Against Saudi Arabia! pic.twitter.com/4verC16CGQ
— Chauhan (@Platypuss_10) June 21, 2026
Yamal becomes Spain’s second-youngest World Cup scorer
At 18 years and 343 days old, Yamal became Spain’s second-youngest goalscorer in FIFA World Cup history.
The record still belongs to his Barcelona teammate Gavi, who was 18 years and 110 days old when he scored against Costa Rica during the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar.
Yamal’s goal arrived after a well-worked move involving Real Sociedad forward Mikel Oyarzabal, who provided the decisive assist.
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OYARZABAL HAS MADE IT THREE FOR SPAIN! THEY ARE COOKING!
Spain 3-0 Saudi Arabia.pic.twitter.com/tTndEdmY0d
— Tekkers Foot (@tekkersfoot) June 21, 2026
Oyarzabal steals the spotlight with brace
While Yamal grabbed the headlines early, Mikel Oyarzabal soon took centre stage with a sensational performance.
The Spanish forward scored twice within three minutes to put Spain firmly in control of the contest.
He scored his first goal in the 21st minute following an assist from defender Aymeric Laporte before completing his brace in the 24th minute with Dani Olmo setting him up.
The quickfire contributions saw Spain race to a commanding 3-0 lead inside the opening 25 minutes.
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Spain make a statement at the World Cup
Oyarzabal’s brace and assist also earned him a place in World Cup history.
According to News 18, he became only the second player to be directly involved in three goals within the first 25 minutes of a FIFA World Cup match.
Spain, one of the favourites to challenge for the title, looked sharp in attack and clinical in front of goal as they produced one of the standout displays of the tournament so far.
