Spain achieved their first knockout win in the FIFA World Cup since the 2010 final in South Africa, demolishing Austria 3-0 via goals from Mikel Oyarzabal and Pedro Porro. They proved why, despite missing a few key players, they are amongst the top candidates to win the 2026 World Cup.
The reigning European champions had gone through a fairly unassuming group stage, drawing 0-0 with Cape Verde and thrashing Saudi Arabia 4-0 in Atlanta. Spain then edged Uruguay 1-0 in Guadalajara, a match which saw Nico Williams exit due to an adductor injury.