INGLEWOOD — In 2010, the Spanish men’s national soccer team, led by Andres Iniesta and Xavi and a long list of stars, staked its claim as the best in the world in winning the World Cup.
Since then, Spain has had early exits, from a group stage disappointment in 2014 to consecutive Round of 16 departures in 2018 and 2022, leaving some to ask whether La Roja should still be considered a favorite in this year’s tournament.
After a slow start in the group stage, Spain proved that it can’t be excluded from the discussion of tournament favorites, kicking off the knockout round Thursday with a 3-0 win over Austria in front of 70,492 in Inglewood.
The win is the first in the knockout round for Spain since winning the World Cup in 2010. Spain has yet to concede a goal through the first four games.
Spain will face either Portugal or Croatia in the Round of 16, Monday. Spain’s path to a potential World Cup final could lead La Roja back to Inglewood. With a win in the Round of 16, Spain would return July 10 for the quarterfinals.
Spain went unbeaten in Group H. Following a shocking scoreless draw against Cape Verde, Spain defeated Saudi Arabia (4-0) and Uruguay (1-0) to finish first with seven points.
After a slow start Thursday, Spain seized control of the first half. The payoff came with a 36th-minute goal from Mikel Oyarzabal.
Trailing 1-0, Austria nearly had the equalizer in the 61st minute, but Saša Kalajdžić’s header went just over the bar. After that missed chance, Spain seized the opportunity to put the game away.
In the 66th minute, Pedro Porro’s goal sealed the win and passage to the Round of 16. Alex Baena, after getting a pass from Marc Cucurella, chipped a pass back toward the center, which Porro met with his head and the finish.
Cucurella, who recently made the move from Chelsea to Real Madrid, also had a hand in the opening goal, finding Oyarzabal unmarked in the 36th minute.
Spanish teenage star Lamine Yamal dazzled the crowd with every move and run. Yamal, who brought an injury into the tournament, had been increasing his time every game, starting with just a brief 19-minute appearance against Cape Verde, followed by a 45-minute run against Saudi Arabia and 76 minutes against Uruguay.
Versus Austria, Yamal was subbed off in the 85th minute, his longest appearance in the World Cup.
Oyarzabal put the game away in the 89th minute for his second goal of the game. It was his 12th goal in 12 games with Spain this season and 16th in the last 18 games.
Austria, in its first World Cup since 1998, finished second in Group J thanks to a late-stoppage goal from Kalajdžić to secure a 3-3 draw against Algeria.