Lamine Yamal, an 18-year-old forward, scored his first World Cup goal just 10 minutes into his first start. He slid in at the far post to touch home a low cross, putting Spain 1-0 up against Saudi Arabia in Atlanta on Sunday.
Yamal had missed the end of Barcelona’s season with a hamstring injury and was used as a second-half substitute when Spain was held to a surprise 0-0 draw with Cape Verde in its opening match. Coach Luis de la Fuente gave Spain fans what they wanted by starting Yamal, and the move quickly paid off with Yamal’s early strike.
Yamal is considered one of the world’s top players and helped Spain win the European Championship in 2024. He is tipped to take over from Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo as the sport’s biggest star.
After scoring, Yamal celebrated by praying and kissing the turf at Atlanta Stadium. His goal was the first of a flurry of first-half goals from Spain, with Mikel Oyarzabal scoring two more goals in the 21st and 24th minutes.
Original reporting: KSAT Sports (San Antonio) — read the source article.
