Saudi Arabia suffered a heavy 4-0 defeat to Spain at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta in their second Group H match at the 2026 World Cup, in a game La Roja dominated from the opening whistle. (FIFA)
A nightmare opening quarter-hour
Lamine Yamal opened the scoring in the 10th minute from a deep cross by Mikel Oyarzabal, who then scored twice himself in the 21st and 24th minutes, making Spain the first team to score three goals inside the opening 25 minutes of a World Cup match since Germany in 2014. Saudi defender Hassan Tambakti compounded the misery with an own goal in the 49th minute to make it 4-0. (ESPN)
Yamal and Oyarzabal rested at half-time
Coach Luis de la Fuente substituted both Yamal and Oyarzabal at half-time, a clear signal of how comfortable Spain felt with the result already secured, allowing the team to manage the second half without risking its key players ahead of the knockout rounds. (Sky Sports)
Where it went wrong for Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia had no defensive answer for Yamal's runs down the right or Oyarzabal's deliveries from deep, while the midfield struggled to contain Rodri, who controlled the tempo from the first minute. The Falcons failed to register a single meaningful attempt on goal throughout the match, a worrying drop-off after their promising opening draw with Uruguay. (NBC News)
Group H standings
Spain moved top of Group H on four points, while Saudi Arabia slipped down the table and now need a positive result in their final group game to keep their round-of-32 hopes alive, in a group that had been level on a single point apiece after matchday one.
What's next for the Falcons
Saudi Arabia head into their decisive final group match under heavy pressure, needing a win to keep their World Cup alive after a defeat that exposed a clear gap in quality against one of Europe's elite sides. Follow Malaab Al-An for full coverage of Saudi Arabia's must-win finale.