Spain
Reigning European champions and many people's favourites, playing the most distinctive possession football at the tournament around Pedri, Gavi and teenage phenom Lamine Yamal.
What the world is saying
Spain’s tournament narrative swung hard in a week. Pilloried across Europe after a goalless draw with debutants Cape Verde, they answered with a ruthless 4-0 demolition of Saudi Arabia — Lamine Yamal off the mark on his first World Cup start, Mikel Oyarzabal with a two-and-a-half-minute brace — to seal a Round of 32 place and quiet the doubters. The global verdict flipped from “horror-show ghosts” to “statement response,” though some noted the test was modest.
Al Jazeera· Qatarpraise
Spain “thrash” Saudi Arabia 4-0 with Yamal off the mark, calling it the response La Roja needed after the Cape Verde scare and proof the attacking talent is clicking into gear.[source]
ESPN· United Statespraise
“Yamal, Oyarzabal run riot in first half as La Roja kickstart campaign” — noting Spain were the first side to score three times inside the opening 25 minutes of a World Cup match since Germany 7-1 Brazil in 2014.[source]
ESPN (Burley)· US/UKcriticism
Burley called Spain extremely pedestrian; no goal, missing Yamal.[source]
Al Jazeera· Qatarcriticism
Horror-show ghosts reappeared; no knockout win since 2010.[source]
Matches
Group HFull timeAtlanta
Spain4–0Saudi Arabia
After the hand-wringing of their goalless draw with Cape Verde, the European champions answered in 25 ruthless first-half minutes. Lamine Yamal, restored to…
Group HFull timeAtlanta
Spain0–0Cape Verde
The upset of the group stage was a game with no goals. Cape Verde — a volcanic archipelago of 500,000, ranked some 60 places below their opponents — walked i…