Lamine Yamal marked his first World Cup start with a goal as Spain beat Saudi Arabia 4-0 in Atlanta on Sunday to record their first win of the tournament.The 18-year-old striker scored in the 11th minute, driving in at the far post and sending in a low cross. The goal made him the eighth-youngest goalscorer in FIFA World Cup history and helped Spain bounce back from a 0-0 draw by Cape Verde in the first leg.Yamal’s name is now part of a list that includes players like the Argentine Lionel Messi and the Brazilian Pele.At 18 years and 343 days, Yamal scored his first World Cup goal, just 14 days younger than Messi when he scored his first World Cup goal at 18 years and 357 days.According to Opti, Yamal is only the second player aged 18 or younger to score the first goal for his country in a World Cup match. The second was Pele, who was 17 when he scored for Brazil against Wales in 1958.Yamal missed the end of Barcelona’s season with a hamstring injury and came off the bench in Spain’s first game against Cape Verde.His place in the starting 11 became the main topic of conversation before the match against Saudi Arabia, and Spain coach Luis de la Fuente decided to include him in the starting line-up. The decision quickly paid off as Yamal opened the scoring early in the game.Despite his age, Yamal is already considered one of the leading young players in world football. He also played a key role in Spain’s triumph at the 2024 European Championship, having made his debut at the age of 16.The win for Spain gets their World Cup campaign back on track after a disappointing result in their opening match.
