Spain Thrashes Austria 3-0 at 2026 World Cup as Mikel Oyarzabal Scores Twice

Spain advanced to the Round of 16 at the 2026 FIFA World Cup after thrashing Austria 3-0 at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood (Los Angeles) in front of 70,492 spectators.

“World Cup 2026 World Cup 2026 The captain of Real Sociedad arrives at his first World Cup after an exemplary career, marked by loyalty to a single club, university studies, and decisive goals”

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The match was decided by a brace from Mikel Oyarzabal in the 36th and 89th minutes, with Pedro Porro adding a header in the 66th minute.

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Spain’s dominance was reflected in the statistics, with possession at 64% against Austria’s 36% and shots on target at 10 to 0.

Austria finished without a single shot on target in the entire match, while Spain’s passing output reached 570 completed passes at 91% accuracy.

The result secured Spain a first knockout win in 16 years and progressed them to the last 16.

While cameras and attention focused on Lamine Yamal, BBC Radio 5 Live quoted Spanish football expert Guillem Balague saying, "Mikel Oyarzabal is the invisible man, he has scored in every final he has ever played."

Balague also described Oyarzabal as "one of the most intelligent players we have and he is the other one who can be a match-winner," framing the striker’s role in Spain’s attack.

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Former Spain defender Cesar Azpilicueta told BBC One that "Sometimes people are in doubt about Spain because of the centre-forward, but Oyarzabal is doing the job."

Azpilicueta added that Oyarzabal had transitioned more into the middle, noting that "A few years ago, Oyarzabal was playing a bit more on the right wing and he has transitioned more into the middle."

BBC reported that the double against Austria extended Oyarzabal’s run to 17 in his last 16 starts, with four goals at this tournament.

Spain’s Round of 16 tie is set for Monday, July 6, 2026 at 21:00 local time at the AT&T Stadium in Dallas, with the opponent to be determined by the Portugal–Croatia clash scheduled for Friday, July 3.

“Before every Spain game at this World Cup, one name has dominated the back of the shirts worn by fans - Lamine Yamal”

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Diario de Morelos said Spain’s path becomes more complicated with a potential clash against Cristiano Ronaldo and company, as the possible opponent could be the winner of Portugal–Croatia.

BBC reported that victory against Austria extended Spain’s unbeaten run to 34 games, and that they would equal their record run of 35 if they reach the quarter-finals.

The BBC also noted that Oyarzabal became the first Spanish player to score twice in a World Cup knockout match since Emilio Butragueno against Denmark in the last 16 of the 1986 tournament.

With Spain now in the last 16 after the 3-0 win, the next match will determine whether they can match their record unbeaten run and continue their knockout progress.