Lamine Yamal Scores Historic First World Cup Goal as Spain Crush Saudi Arabia 4-0

Lamine Yamal made history with his first World Cup goal as Spain delivered a dominant 4-0 victory over Saudi Arabia to secure their first win of the tournament in Group H.

The 18-year-old Barcelona winger struck early in his first World Cup start, finishing a well-worked move in the 10th minute to give Spain a dream start. The goal also placed him among an elite group of teenagers, becoming one of the youngest players in World Cup history to score the opening goal of a match.

Spain, who had opened their campaign with a frustrating goalless draw against Cape Verde, showed greater attacking urgency from the start under manager Luis de la Fuente. The tactical decision to restore Yamal to the starting lineup paid immediate dividends as Spain pressed high and dominated possession.

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After Yamal’s opener, Spain continued to overwhelm Saudi Arabia with relentless attacking pressure. Mikel Oyarzabal doubled the lead after reacting quickest to a loose ball inside the box following a failed clearance from a corner.

Just three minutes later, Oyarzabal struck again, finishing off a clever assist from Dani Olmo to effectively end the contest before halftime. Saudi Arabia struggled to cope with Spain’s high press, with defensive errors repeatedly punished. Oyarzabal nearly completed a hat-trick before the break but struck the crossbar after intercepting a poor pass from goalkeeper Mohammed Al-Owais.

Both Yamal and Oyarzabal were substituted at halftime, but Spain’s dominance continued in the second half. A powerful effort from Marc Cucurella was parried by Al-Owais, only for the rebound to deflect off Hassan Al Tambakti into his own net for Spain’s fourth goal.

Spain controlled the remainder of the match, maintaining possession and limiting Saudi Arabia’s attacking threat. Substitute Ferran Torres missed a good chance to extend the lead, while Abdullah Al Hamdan recorded Saudi Arabia’s only shot on target late in the game.

Torres later had a goal ruled out for offside after a VAR review in stoppage time, but Spain had already done enough to seal a convincing victory.

The result marks a strong response from Spain after their opening draw and reinforces their status as one of the tournament favourites, while Yamal’s breakthrough goal highlights his rapid rise on the global stage.

Lamine Yamal Scores Historic First World Cup Goal as Spain Crush Saudi Arabia 4-0

Salah Inspires Egypt to Historic First-Ever World Cup Win Over New Zealand

• Mohamed Salah’s second-half masterclass ends Egypt’s 92-year wait for a World Cup victory as the Pharaohs move top of Group G

Mohamed Salah finally banished his personal and national World Cup demons on Sunday night, inspiring Egypt to a stunning 3-1 comeback victory over New Zealand at BC Place Stadium in Vancouver. The win marked Egypt’s first-ever victory in World Cup history after eight previous matches without a single win across three tournament appearances, dating back to their debut in 1934. The triumph propelled coach Hossam Hassan’s team to the top of Group G with four points from two matches, placing them in a strong position to qualify for the knockout stage for the first time in their history. The Pharaohs, who had drawn 1-1 with Belgium in their opener, now need just a draw against Iran in their final group match to secure progression.

New Zealand, searching for their own first-ever World Cup victory after a winless 2010 campaign where they drew all three matches, stunned the red-clad Egyptian supporters packed into the 54,500-seat stadium. Defender Finn Surman rose above the Pharaohs’ backline in the 15th minute, powering home a flying header from Tim Payne’s corner kick to give the All Whites a surprise 1-0 lead. The early goal left Egypt disoriented, and despite efforts from Salah and Omar Marmoush to create chances, the first half ended with New Zealand maintaining their advantage. Salah had one promising opportunity in the 35th minute when Marmoush dropped a free kick to him, but his shot went just wide and bent into the side netting. The half-time scoreline carried additional significance—it marked the first time Egypt had ever been behind at the interval in a World Cup match. Egypt goalkeeper Mostafa Shobeir kept his side alive with an outstanding save to stop Callum McCowatt’s close-range header from doubling New Zealand’s advantage, while Egypt’s Hamdy Fathy was substituted late in the first half after an apparent injury away from the ball.

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Egypt emerged from the break with renewed intensity after manager Hossam Hassan made crucial positional adjustments, allowing Salah more freedom to connect with surrounding players. The tactical shift paid dividends when Mostafa Zico—named after the great Brazilian player—broke through with the equalizer in the 58th minute, finding space between Surman and Payne to head home Mohamed Hany’s cross from the right, beating goalkeeper Max Crocombe despite the keeper getting a hand to it. The goal marked Zico’s third international strike in just his fourth cap. Just nine minutes later, Salah delivered his moment of magic, as the 34-year-old Liverpool icon, who recently announced he is leaving the club this summer, exchanged a quick one-two with Zico in the area before cutting inside and slotting a precise low strike past Crocombe to give Egypt a 2-1 lead in the 67th minute. Salah celebrated his 68th international goal by pumping his fist before being mobbed by teammates, and when he was substituted off in the 85th minute, the sellout crowd rose to give him a standing ovation. Trezeguet sealed the historic victory in the 82nd minute, diving to power home a superb header from Salah’s outswinging corner, and the result could have been even more emphatic, but Crocombe produced a great save deep into added time to deny Zico a fourth goal. Egypt defender Hossam Abdelmaguid had to be replaced late on with a suspected concussion, his eye swelling up as he left the field.

The victory holds profound significance for Egyptian football, as before Sunday night, the Pharaohs had played eight World Cup matches across four tournaments—in 1934, 1990, and 2018—recording only three draws and five defeats. Egypt became the first African team to qualify for the World Cup in 1934 but had never won a match in the finals until now. For Salah, the triumph marked redemption after years of World Cup heartbreak, as in 2018 he faced a race against time to recover from injury and could only manage a consolation penalty in a 3-1 loss to Russia, followed by a missed sitter in a humiliating defeat to Saudi Arabia, and four years later, Egypt failed to qualify for Qatar entirely. After a quiet opening display in Egypt’s 1-1 draw with Belgium and a slow first half against New Zealand, the Egyptian King finally delivered when it mattered most, stating after the match: “It’s a great achievement for all the players. It’s a great win. It’s a great vibe. The next game is very important.” Egypt coach Hossam Hassan celebrated by lapping the stadium with an Egyptian flag as an ear-splitting roar went up from the fans, and Salah now sits just one goal away from tying his coach for the national team’s all-time scoring lead.

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The victory leaves Egypt in pole position in Group G with four points, while Belgium and Iran both have two points following their scoreless draw earlier in the day, and New Zealand sits at the bottom with one point. Egypt currently lead the group with four points and a goal difference of +2, having scored four goals, while Iran sits second with two points and a goal difference of 0, having scored two goals, Belgium is third with two points and a goal difference of 0, having scored one goal, and New Zealand is fourth with one point and a goal difference of -2, having scored three goals. Egypt can seal qualification with a point against Iran in its final match of Group G, while a loss followed by a Belgium win against New Zealand could push them down to third, but that could still be enough to progress as one of the eight-best third-place teams. New Zealand, meanwhile, must beat Belgium in their final match at BC Place to maintain any hope of progressing.

Salah Inspires Egypt to Historic First-Ever World Cup Win Over New Zealand

Tunisia, two others eliminated from 2026 World Cup

Tunisia became the latest casualty of the 2026 FIFA World Cup on Sunday after a crushing 4-0 defeat to Japan confirmed their elimination from the tournament, joining Haiti and Turkey among the first nations to crash out of the global football showpiece.

The North Africans’ hopes of reaching the Round of 32 were extinguished at the Estadio Monterrey in Guadalupe, where Japan delivered a dominant performance to leave the Carthage Eagles rooted to the bottom of Group F without a point from two matches.

Having suffered a humiliating 5-1 defeat to Sweden in their opening fixture, Tunisia entered the encounter against Japan needing a positive result to keep their qualification hopes alive.

However, another heavy loss ensured they became the third team to be mathematically eliminated from the competition.

With zero points and a significantly inferior goal difference, Tunisia can no longer catch the teams occupying the qualification spots in the group, regardless of the outcome of their final match.

The result means Haiti and Turkey, who had earlier been knocked out of the tournament, are no longer alone in making an early exit from the expanded World Cup.

Tunisia will now play for pride when they take on the Netherlands in their final Group F fixture in the coming days.

The early elimination represents a disappointing campaign for the Carthage Eagles, who arrived at the tournament hoping to improve on previous World Cup performances but instead endured back-to-back heavy defeats that brought their challenge to a premature end.