Lamine Yamal breaks Messi's record as Spain crush Saudi Arabia
Yamal joins World Cup greats as Spain cruise past Saudi Arabia in 4-0 victory
Spain finally got their FIFA World Cup 2026 campaign up and running with an emphatic 4-0 victory over Saudi Arabia, and once again it was Lamine Yamal who stole the spotlight.
After being frustrated by Cabo Verde in a goalless draw in their opening match, Spain looked determined to make a statement from the first whistle. They were 3-0 up by half time and had the contest effectively wrapped up within 45 minutes.
Yamal opened the scoring and in doing so achieved something remarkable. The 18 year old became only the second player aged 18 or younger to score the opening goal in a FIFA World Cup match, with the only other player to do so being a 17 year old Pele for Brazil against Wales in 1958.
The Barcelona star's goal also saw him move ahead of Lionel Messi in the list of the youngest goalscorers in World Cup history. Yamal, aged 18 years and 343 days, is now the eighth youngest scorer in tournament history, pushing Messi, who was 18 years and 357 days old when he scored his first World Cup goal, down to ninth. This was Lamine's first ever World Cup goals as well.
Spain race into control
Spain were a completely different side from the one that struggled to break down Cabo Verde.
Yamal's opener settled any nerves before Mikel Oyarzabal added two goals as Luis de la Fuente's side tore through the Saudi defence. By the interval Spain already held a commanding 3-0 advantage and there was little doubt about the outcome.
Despite playing only the first half, Yamal had already done enough to leave his mark on the game.
Joining football royalty
The teenager now finds himself alongside some of the biggest names in World Cup history.
Youngest World Cup goalscorers:
Pelé – 17 years, 239 days
Manuel Rosas – 18 years, 93 days
Gavi – 18 years, 110 days
Ibrahim Mbaye – 18 years, 142 days
Michael Owen – 18 years, 190 days
Nicolae Kovacs – 18 years, 197 days
Dmitri Sychev – 18 years, 231 days
Lamine Yamal – 18 years, 343 days
Lionel Messi – 18 years, 357 days
Julian Green – 19 years, 25 days
At just 18, he has become the focal point of Spain's attack and the player opponents fear most. Against Saudi Arabia he needed only 45 minutes to change the game, break another record and help Spain secure their first win of the tournament.
