Spain winger Lamine Yamal has set a unique record at the 2026 FIFA World Cup, surpassing a milestone previously held by France forward Kylian Mbappe. The 18-year-old Barcelona star scored his first World Cup goal against Saudi Arabia in a commanding 4-0 victory, becoming the second-youngest player to score the opening goal of a World Cup match.
Yamal's Record-Breaking Strike
Yamal opened the scoring after collecting a superb pass from Mikel Oyarzabal before calmly slotting the ball into the net to hand Spain a 1-0 lead. According to BBC, Yamal became only the second player aged 18 or younger to score the opening goal of a FIFA World Cup match. The only player to achieve the feat before him was Brazilian legend Pele, who was 17 years old when he scored the opening goal in Brazil's victory over Wales at the 1958 World Cup.
Yamal scored his first World Cup goal at the age of 18 years and 343 days, making him younger than Mbappe was when the French superstar scored his first World Cup goal. Mbappe was 19 years and 183 days old when he found the net for France during the 2018 FIFA World Cup.
Spain's Dominant Performance
Spain doubled their lead through Oyarzabal, who finished low past goalkeeper Mohammad Al-Owais after Saudi Arabia had failed to clear a corner in the 21st minute, per SofaScore. Three minutes later, the Real Sociedad forward scored a brace, sweeping home Dani Olmo's flick-on at the far post to all but end the game as a contest. In the 49th minute, Marc Cucurella's effort was rebounded off Al Tambakti into the back of his net to make it 4-0 in favour of Spain.
Yamal Joins Pele in World Cup History
The achievement places Yamal among the most celebrated young talents in World Cup history and also sees him eclipse another remarkable benchmark. Yamal's strike puts him ahead of one of football's biggest modern stars while further cementing his place alongside Pele in World Cup history. Meanwhile, Yamal did not break every Spanish age-related World Cup record as that honour still belongs to his Barcelona teammate Gavi. The midfielder remains Spain's youngest-ever goalscorer at the World Cup after scoring against Costa Rica during the 2022 tournament.
Context and Previous Matches
Yamal endured a quiet start to the tournament as Spain were held to a goalless draw by Cape Verde in their opening Group H match. However, the teenager made headlines in Spain's second game, scoring in a commanding victory over Saudi Arabia.
