Spain defeated Austria 3-0 in Los Angeles on July 3 to book a place in the FIFA World Cup 2026 Round of 16, with Mikel Oyarzabal scoring twice and Pedro Porro netting his first international goal. The victory was Spain’s first knockout win at a World Cup since their 2010 triumph in South Africa. Spain will meet the winners of the Portugal–Croatia match in Dallas on July 7.
Lamine Yamal set the tempo inside the opening minute with an early effort on goal, and Spain’s pressure steadily increased. A corner from Marc Cucurella appeared to give Spain the lead, but the referee ruled the goal out for a foul on Austria goalkeeper Alexander Schlager.
Oyarzabal opened the scoring in the 36th minute after Cucurella delivered a low cross from the left; the Basque forward redirected a first-time shot into the corner for his third goal of the finals, FIFA reported. Spain came close to doubling their advantage before halftime when Alex Baena’s free-kick struck the crossbar and Yamal forced another save from Schlager.
Austria created few clear chances. Michael Gregoritsch failed to connect with a Marcel Sabitzer cross while substitute Sasa Kalajdzic headed over from another Sabitzer delivery shortly after coming on around the hour mark.
Spain extended their lead early in the second half when Baena crossed from the left and Pedro Porro rose to head in his maiden goal for Spain. After David Alaba blocked a Yamal shot on the line, Oyarzabal slid in from another Cucurella cross to complete his brace and seal the win.
Goalkeeper Unai Simón kept a clean sheet — his fifth consecutive at World Cup finals, a run that matches Walter Zenga’s streak for Italy in 1990. Simón’s minutes without conceding now total 519, surpassing Zenga’s long-standing 517-minute mark. — IANS
Original Source: https://assamtribune.com/sports/spain-breeze-past-austria-to-reach-fifa-wc-last-16-1613813
Category: Sports
Tags:
Publish Date: 2026-07-03 12:44:00
