Spain defeats Austria 3-0 for first World Cup knockout win since 2010

Spain made a remarkable start in the knockout stage of the FIFA World Cup 2026. In an exciting match on Friday morning, Spain defeated Austria 3-0, marking their first victory in the World Cup knockout stage since 2010.

Since winning the title by defeating the Netherlands in the 2010 World Cup final in South Africa, Spain had not secured a win in the knockout stages of the World Cup. With this historic victory, Spain will now compete against the winner of the Portugal vs Croatia match for a place in the quarterfinals.

In the match held at the Los Angeles Stadium, Mikel Oyarzabal delivered an outstanding performance for Spain. In the 36th minute, Oyarzabal capitalized on a pass from Marc Cucurella to give his team an early lead. This goal was significant for Spain as it was their first goal in the knockout stage since Andrés Iniesta’s goal in the 2010 World Cup final.

Despite creating several opportunities in the first half, Spain could not extend their lead as Austria’s goalkeeper, Alexander Schlager, made impressive saves. In the 29th minute, Marc Cucurella found the net, but the referee disallowed the goal, citing interference with the Austrian goalkeeper by Spanish players.

In the 33rd minute, Oyarzabal’s shot was also thwarted by goalkeeper Schlager. Similarly, in the second minute of injury time in the first half, Alex Baena’s free-kick hit the bar and the rebound shot by Lamine Yamal was saved by Schlager.

Leading 1-0 at halftime, Spain managed to score two more goals in the second half. In the 66th minute, Pedro Porro converted a cross from Alex Baena to double Spain’s lead. This was also Porro’s first international goal for the national team. Towards the end of the match, in the 89th minute, Oyarzabal scored his second goal, securing a comfortable 3-0 victory for Spain.