Spain‘s wonderkid Lamine Yamal scored his first-ever FIFA World Cup goal, netting against Saudi Arabia at the Mercedes-Benz Stadium during the second round of the World Cup 2026 group stage.
The Barcelona star had previously featured briefly in Spain’s opening match against Cape Verde, coming off the bench for the final 20 minutes of a scoreless 0-0 draw.
Despite initial injury concerns regarding a potential muscle relapse, Spain head coach Luis de la Fuente named Yamal in the starting lineup against Saudi Arabia. The teenage sensation needed just 9 minutes to open his World Cup account.
Historic World Cup Records Broken by Lamine Yamal
Yamal’s strike broke multiple historical records:
-
Spain’s Youngest Scorers: At 18 years and 343 days, Yamal became the second-youngest player to score for Spain in World Cup history, following Gavi in 2022 (18 years and 110 days).
-
Surpassing Lionel Messi: He is now the 8th youngest goalscorer in World Cup history, breaking Lionel Messi’s record from the 2006 tournament by a margin of 14 days.
-
Opening the Scoring: He is only the second player aged 18 or under to score the opening goal of a World Cup match, trailing only Brazilian legend Pelé, who did so at age 17 in 1958.
Remarkably, this goal marks only the second time this year that Yamal has scored using his weaker right foot.
لامين جمال يفتتح التسجيل للمنتخب الإسباني ويُسجل أول أهدافه في كأس العالم pic.twitter.com/D6CHMoO5CU
— beIN SPORTS (@beINSPORTS) June 21, 2026
