Spain’s Young Star Lamine Yamal Scores on World Cup Starting Debut Within 10 Minutes

Spain’s teenage sensation Lamine Yamal scored just 10 minutes into his first World Cup starting appearance, opening the scoring against Saudi Arabia in a group stage match held in Atlanta on Sunday.

The 18-year-old forward found the far post to put Spain ahead 1–0, slotting the ball into the net with composed precision.

Yamal had missed the final stretch of Barcelona’s season due to a hamstring injury. In Spain’s opening World Cup match a surprise 0–0 draw against Cape Verde he had only entered the pitch in the second half.

Ahead of the Saudi Arabia fixture, whether Yamal would make the starting lineup had been a major talking point. Coach Luis de la Fuente delivered what fans had been hoping for by starting him from the beginning, and Yamal wasted no time repaying the faith shown in him.

Yamal is widely regarded as one of the best young players in world football today. He made a crucial contribution to Spain’s triumph at the 2024 European Championship, when he was just 16 years old at the start of the tournament.

Many see him as the player most likely to become football’s biggest star in the years to come, following in the footsteps of Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo. After scoring, Yamal sprinted off in celebration, then dropped to his knees in prayer before kissing the turf.

Spain, considered one of the tournament’s leading title contenders, had already built a commanding 3–0 lead by halftime.

Mikel Oyarzabal, who had faced criticism for barely touching the ball in the first 30 minutes against Cape Verde, delivered a standout performance in this match providing the assist for Yamal’s opener before adding two more goals himself in the 21st and 24th minutes to put Spain firmly in control.