Kathmandu, Nepal: Spain registered a comfortable and dominant 3-0 victory over Austria on Thursday afternoon at the Los Angeles Stadium in Inglewood, California, during the Round of 32 of the ongoing FIFA World Cup 2026. With this win, Spain has not only advanced to the tournament's Round of 16 but has also successfully rewritten a bitter 16-year history of failing to win a World Cup knockout match. This marks Spain’s first victory in a World Cup knockout game since lifting the trophy by defeating the Netherlands in the 2010 World Cup final in South Africa.
Star player Mikel Oyarzabal delivered a magical performance on the pitch, scoring twice to guide Spain to this historic success, while Pedro Porro added another. Playing aggressively right from the whistle, Spain took their first lead in the 36th minute. Oyarzabal found the back of the net, capitalizing on an excellent low pass from Marc Cucurella. This goal carried immense emotional and historic weight for Spain, as it was their very first goal in a World Cup knockout stage since Andrés Iniesta’s iconic winning goal in the 2010 final.
Although Spain created several scoring opportunities in the first half, they couldn't extend their lead immediately due to a stellar performance by Austrian goalkeeper Alexander Schlager. Nevertheless, Spain maintained absolute control over the game, with Unai Simón keeping a clean sheet as Austria failed to register a single shot on target.
Spain maintained their creative pressure in the second half. Pedro Porro doubled the lead in the 66th minute, converting a precise cross from Álex Baena with an emphatic header to secure his first international goal. Oyarzabal then sealed Spain’s 3-0 victory with his second goal of the night in the 89th minute, sliding home another clinical delivery from Cucurella.
With his brace in this match, Oyarzabal’s goal tally in the ongoing World Cup has reached three. Meanwhile, the tournament's top scorers list features France captain Kylian Mbappé and Argentina captain Lionel Messi leading the Golden Boot race with 6 goals each, while Erling Haaland and Harry Kane follow closely with 5 goals apiece. In the next round, Spain will face the winner of the high-stakes clash between Portugal and Croatia, serving as the ultimate test for a side that has just broken its 16-year jinx.
