Lamine Yamal Matches Football Icon with First World Cup Goal
June 23, 2026 · Global
Lamine Yamal scored on his World Cup debut, becoming the second youngest player to do so, following in the footsteps of Pelé.
Lamine Yamal took just 10 minutes to score on his World Cup debut. After a disappointing draw against Cabo Verde in the opener, Luis de la Fuente's side needed a strong start against Saudi Arabia. They lived up to that expectation, and after 10 minutes had passed, a dangerous ball across the goal line was turned into a goal by Yamal at the back post. By scoring the goal, Yamal became the second player aged 18 or younger to open the scoring in a World Cup match. The first player to do so was Pelé, who scored for Brazil as a 17-year-old against Wales in 1958. An impressive achievement following in the footsteps of a legend. Spain didn't seem short of goals, as 10 minutes later they scored their second and third goals thanks to quick goals from Mikel Oyarzabal. After a slow start to the tournament, Spain and Yamal finally showed off their form!