2026 World Cup: Spain beats Austria with two goals from Mikel Oyarzabal, advances to the round of 16
July 4, 2026 · Global
Spain beat Austria 3-0 in the Round of 32 of the 2026 World Cup, with Mikel Oyarzabal scoring twice and Pedro Porro adding another. Spain showed a good passing game and ball possession, progressing to the next round.
INGLEWOOD, California — This World Cup is dominated by the biggest stars. Spain showed on Thursday that they don't need it. With Lamine Yamal largely invisible, Spain relied on quick passes, patient play-building and two perfect passes from Marc Cucurella to beat Austria 3-0 in their Round of 32 clash at SoFi Stadium. Cucurella set up Mikel Oyarzabal for Spain's first goal in the 36th minute, slipping a precise pass into the box that Oyarzabal managed to tap into the far corner with his first touch. Pedro Porro added his first international goal in the second half, and Cucurella found Oyarzabal again in the 89th minute to seal the win. With this win, Spain advanced to face the winner between Portugal and Croatia in the Round of 16, but it all started with Oyarzabal's beautiful flick on goal. Spain took control early after a period of feeling and had the better chances for most of the first half. Austria's best chance came when Michael Gregoritsch almost touched a cross in front of goal, but Austria finished the first half with just two shots and none on target. Spain thought they had scored around the 30th minute when Marc Cucurella fired a shot at goal following a corner, but the goal was ruled out after Austria goalkeeper Alexander Schlager was deemed to have been obstructed. VAR checked and the no-goal decision stood. Minutes later, Schlager came to Austria's rescue again, pushing Mikel Oyarzabal's low shot just beyond the post. However, there was nothing Schlager could do in the 36th minute. Pedri started the attack through the middle and fed the ball to Marc Cucurella who targeted Oyarzabal with a perfect pass into the box, and Oyarzabal managed to kick the ball into the far corner with his first touch. This was Oyarzabal's 16th goal in his last 16 matches for Spain. Spain almost doubled their lead in first half stoppage time. Alex Baena smashed his free kick onto the post, and after Austria failed to clear the rebound, Yamal was denied from close range by Schlager's superb save. Austria coach Ralf Rangnick attempted to change the course of the match after the break, shuffling his team with several changes in search of an equalizer. Instead, Spain scored another goal. In the 66th minute, Cucurella passed the ball to Baena on the left side, and Baena made an unselfish pass into the box. Pedro Porro was there to greet him with a powerful header that beat Schlager and doubled Spain's lead. It was Porro's first international goal and Baena's first assist at the World Cup after the midfielder spurned a shooting opportunity to set up his partner. Spain closed the game in the 89th minute, and once again it was the Cucurella-Oyarzabal connection. Given too much space on the left, Cucurella directed a perfect pass into the penalty area, where Oyarzabal poked the ball past Schlager for his second goal of the night. It marked another clinical performance for the Spanish striker, who now has 17 goals in his last 16 appearances for the national team. Spain will face the winner of Thursday night's Round of 32 match between Portugal and Croatia. Austria's tournament ended having reached the knockout stages for the first time since 1954, but they never found an answer to Spain's precise passing and possession.