FIFA World Cup 2026: Spain finally put an end to a long wait on July 2 night and beat Austria 3-0 at SoFi Stadium at Inglewood in Los Angeles to reach the World Cup round-of-16 and claim their first knockout victory in the tournament since lifting the trophy in South Africa in 2010.
Luis de la Fuente’s side had come through Group H without much fuss, though they never truly hit top gear. Against Austria, they looked far more comfortable, controlled the match from the opening whistle and never allowed Ralf Rangnick’s team to settle.
The result sends Spain into a last-16 clash with either Portugal or Croatia on July 6 in Dallas.
Spain had not enjoyed much success in World Cup knockout football since their 2010 triumph. They failed to get out of the group stage in 2014 and then suffered penalty shootout exits against Russia in 2018 and Morocco in 2022. This time, there was no such drama.
Spain controlled the opening stages, with Lamine Yamal driving many of their attacks. The teenager tested Alexander Schlager within the opening minutes and continued to trouble the Austrian defence throughout the first half.
Yamal nearly created the breakthrough on several occasions. Yamal beat Konrad Laimer and fired a strong shot, but Schlager made the save. Oyarzabal tried to score from the rebound, only to be denied as well.
Marc Cucurella thought he had given Spain the lead midway through the half, only for VAR to uphold the referee’s decision to rule the goal out because of a foul in the crowded penalty area.
Spain kept pushing and finally found the opener in the 36th minute. Cucurella played a low ball behind Austria’s defence, and Oyarzabal finished first time to make it 1-0. The goal had been coming after a spell of sustained pressure.
The Real Sociedad forward also made history. He became the first Spanish player to score in a World Cup knockout match since Andrés Iniesta’s winner in the 2010 final against the Netherlands. Since the beginning of 2025, only Erling Haaland has scored more international goals among European players than Oyarzabal.
Spain could easily have gone into the break with a bigger lead. Alex Baena rattled the crossbar from a free kick in stoppage time, while Yamal failed to convert the rebound after Schlager made another save.
Austria tried to respond after halftime. Sasa Kalajdzic nearly made an instant impact when he headed over with his first touch after coming on. But that was as close as Rangnick’s side came to changing the contest.
Pedro Porro effectively settled the tie in the 66th minute. Baena found space on the left and delivered an inviting cross into the box, where the Tottenham defender headed home for his first international goal.
The third goal came late on when Cucurella found Oyarzabal in space. The forward finished first time past Schlager to complete the scoring.
Austria had reached the knockout stage for the first time since 1954, but they struggled to create meaningful chances against a Spanish side that has still not conceded a goal at this tournament. Luis de la Fuente’s men now carry a 34-match unbeaten run in all competitions, excluding penalty shootouts, and are one game away from matching the national record set by Spain’s golden generation.
For a team that came in the United States among the favourites, this was their most complete performance so far. The long wait for a World Cup knockout victory is over, and Spain now head to Dallas with confidence and a place in the last 16 secured.
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