Lamine Yamal scored on his first World Cup start as Spain demolished Saudi Arabia 4-0 in Atlanta on Wednesday.
The Barcelona winger, starting after coming off the bench in Spain's goalless opener against Cape Verde, needed just 10 minutes to break the deadlock.
Coach Luis de la Fuente handed Yamal his first starting role after a two-month injury layoff. He tapped home from close range following a low cross from Mikel Oyarzabal.
Oyarzabal struck twice more within 24 minutes to put Spain firmly in control. An own goal from Hassan Al Tambakti sealed the rout in the second half.
With that victory, Spain moved to the top of Group H with four points from two matches. They ended their World Cup goal drought in commanding fashion.
Yamal's opening goal made history in the process. He became only the second player aged 18 or younger to score the first goal in a World Cup match, after Pelé in 1958.
De la Fuente withdrew the teenager at halftime to manage his workload carefully. "We had to recover good feelings and correct things from the last game," the manager told reporters afterward.
According to him, Spain still needs improvement despite the dominant display. "We need to keep improving if we want to achieve our target of reaching the final on July 19," he added.
Spain's opening stalemate against World Cup debutants Cape Verde had prompted questions about their attack. Yamal's impact Wednesday answered those concerns emphatically.
La Roja faces Uruguay next in their decisive group-stage clash. That match takes place in Guadalajara on June 27.
Saudi Arabia will play Cape Verde in Houston that same day. Both teams remain searching for their first tournament victory.
