Young star Lamine Yamal’s goal helped Spain secure a massive 4-0 win against Saudi Arabia. In other news, Egypt made history by winning its first-ever FIFA World Cup match in 92 years, beating New Zealand 3-1. Meanwhile, the Belgium-Iran and Cape Verde-Uruguay matches ended in draws.
Atlanta: Young superstar Lamine Yamal has scored his first-ever goal in the FIFA World Cup. The 18-year-old, who many believe is the next big thing after Messi and Ronaldo, was simply brilliant against Saudi Arabia. His performance helped Spain register a massive 4-0 victory, opening their winning account in this World Cup.
Yamal found the back of the net in the 10th minute of the match, becoming the 8th youngest player to score a goal in World Cup history. More importantly, his goal brought huge relief to the Spanish team, which was struggling after a goalless draw against Cape Verde in their first match.
Mikel Oyarzabal then scored two quick goals in the 21st and 24th minutes, giving Spain a comfortable 3-0 lead. Early in the second half, Saudi Arabia’s Hassan scored an own goal in the 49th minute, which was like a gift for Spain.
Iran Shocks Belgium!
Los Angeles: Iran’s goalkeeper Alireza Beiranvand was the hero of the day, saving seven goal attempts from Belgium. His incredible performance helped his team secure a goalless draw against the World No. 10 side. However, Iran also failed to convert the chances they got.
This means Belgium is yet to score a single goal in this World Cup. In their first match, they were saved from a loss only because of an own goal by Egypt.
During Monday’s match, thousands of fans in the stadium tried to provoke the Iranian players. Due to US entry rules, the Iranian team is only allowed in the country to play the match. They arrived in the US a day before the game and will leave immediately after it ends.
Egypt Registers First-Ever FIFA World Cup Win!
Vancouver: Egypt first played in the FIFA World Cup in 1934, but had to wait until 2026 for their first victory. Despite qualifying for the global football festival in 1990 and 2018, a win always eluded them. On Monday, they finally broke the 92-year-old jinx with a 3-1 victory over New Zealand.
New Zealand took an early lead when Finn Surman scored in the 15th minute. But Egypt completely dominated the second half. Mostafa Ziko scored in the 58th minute, followed by Mohamed Salah in the 67th, and Trézéguet in the 82nd minute.
Egypt will face Iran in their final group stage match. If they manage at least a draw, they will qualify for the knockout stage.
Cape Verde’s Dream Run Continues: Holds Uruguay to a 2-2 Draw!
Miami: Debutants Cape Verde are continuing their unbeaten run in their first-ever World Cup. After holding Spain to a goalless draw in their first match, they pulled off another surprise on Monday. They drew 2-2 against a strong Uruguay side, keeping their hopes of reaching the knockout stage alive.
Cape Verde will face Saudi Arabia in their final group match. A win or even a draw in that game could see them through to the Round of 32.
Kevin Pina scored Cape Verde’s historic first World Cup goal in the 21st minute. But Uruguay didn’t take long to hit back. Araújo scored in the 44th minute and Canobbio added another in the 45+6th minute to give Uruguay the lead. However, Hélio Varela scored in the 61st minute, saving Cape Verde from a defeat.