Spain, one of the strong favourites for the World Cup title, delivered a commanding performance with a 4-0 victory over Saudi Arabia in Atlanta, led by their young sensation Lamine Yamal.

The reigning European champions entered the tournament in the United States as top contenders to lift the trophy, though their goalless draw against Cape Verde had raised doubts about their form.

However, those concerns were swiftly put to rest as Spain scored three times within the opening 24 minutes to seize control of Group H. Although they eased their intensity in the second half, the outcome was never in doubt.

The 18-year-old Barcelona prodigy Yamal, who had played only the final 19 minutes in the draw against Cape Verde following his recovery from injury, marked his first World Cup start by netting the opener.

Mikel Oyarzabal showcased his clinical finishing by netting a quick double after setting up Yamal’s goal, while Saudi Arabia’s Hassan Al Tambakti compounded his side’s woes with an unfortunate own goal in the second half – the eighth of this World Cup.

The Green Falcons offered little threat throughout the match, and their frustration was capped when Ferran Torres’s stoppage-time strike was disallowed for offside following a lengthy VAR review.

Spain coach Luis de la Fuente made four changes to his starting line-up, bringing in Alex Baena, Dani Olmo, Pedro Porro, and Yamal. Saudi Arabia immediately dropped deep in defence, but Yamal sparkled on his first start since April 22, shooting over in the fourth minute and setting up Porro’s rising effort before opening his World Cup account.

In the 10th minute, Baena released Oyarzabal with a precise pass, and the Real Sociedad forward drilled a low cross that Yamal slid in to convert at the far post – his seventh goal for Spain.

Oyarzabal forced Saudi goalkeeper Mohammed Al-Owais into a smart low save soon after and shot wide from another Baena assist. But redemption came in the 21st minute, when Olmo’s mishit shot deflected off a defender, and Aymeric Laporte nodded the loose ball into Oyarzabal’s path for a composed finish with the outside of his left foot.

Just three minutes later, Oyarzabal struck again. Marc Cucurella kept Porro’s cross alive at the back post, and Olmo headed the ball across goal for Oyarzabal to volley home from close range, taking his international tally to 27 goals in 55 appearances. He nearly completed his hat-trick when Al-Owais’s misplaced pass fell to him near the box, but his lobbed effort clipped the crossbar as the goalkeeper scrambled back.

With the result secure, Spain substituted both goal scorers at half-time to manage workloads for upcoming fixtures, yet they extended their advantage just four minutes into the second half.

Cucurella struck a volley after being left unmarked from a corner, and when Al-Owais parried the ball onto Al Tambakti, it rolled agonisingly over the line for an own goal.

Spain could have added a fifth in stoppage time when Torres turned in from close range, but after a three-minute VAR review, the goal was ruled out for offside.