Top News

Spain delivered their most convincing performance of the World Cup so far, defeating Austria 3-0 at SoFi Stadium to secure their place in the round of 16.

Mikel Oyarzabal scored twice and Pedro Porro added a third as Luis de la Fuente's side dominated the knockout opener. Lamine Yamal was named Player of the Match after an influential display that included six shots, four on target, two chances created and five recoveries.

The 18-year-old completed 85 minutes – his longest appearance of the tournament since recovering from injury – and said he is now fully fit for the challenges ahead.

"The World Cup starts now," Yamal told reporters. "If you lose, you go home. And we don't want that. None of us wants that."

"I'm good. Now I'm 100%. I'm ready to play whatever the boss wants. Little by little, I'm feeling like myself again, making the runs I need to, dribbling, and I'm very happy."

Oyarzabal continued his strong tournament, taking his tally to four goals, while Porro also found the net as Spain advanced with comfort.

Austria manager Ralf Rangnick admitted his side had been outclassed and tipped Spain to go all the way.
"I can't remember any unforced error that they made," Rangnick said. Spain showed us their best performance today. I dare to say that we didn't only play the European champions, but perhaps the next world champions."
Rangnick also singled out Yamal, describing him as "one of the biggest talents we've seen at his age."

Spain coach Luis de la Fuente welcomed the display but insisted there was still room for improvement.
"I have many reasons to be happy today," De la Fuente said. "We won, and the image of the team was fantastic. It's a process, but there's still room for improvement in the next match. This team hasn't reached its limit. There's much to do. I thank Rangnick for his words, but we're not yet satisfied."

Spain will now travel to Dallas for a round-of-16 meeting with either Portugal or Croatia on Monday.