This meeting between two teams set up in a 4-2-3-1 system saw Spain take the lead in the 36th minute through Oyarzabal, set up by Marc Cucurella. The Spaniards confirmed their superiority in the second half with two more goals scored by Pedro Porro (66th) and Oyarzabal, again from a Cucurella pass, in the 89th minute.

The team led by Luis de la Fuente showed strong territorial control with 65% possession and clear dominance in shots, totaling 22 attempts, including 10 on target. Austria, under Ralf Rangnick, struggled to pose a threat, failing to put a shot on target despite their rare forays forward.

Defensively, Spain contained the opposition attacks without conceding, with a solid unit led by Aymeric Laporte and Pau Cubarsí. The midfield, driven in particular by Rodri and Pedri, efficiently moved the ball to feed the front three of Alex Baena, Dani Olmo and the ever-present Oyarzabal. The latter was the man of the match with a 9.3 rating, five shots including four on target and two decisive goals.

For Austria, Alexander Schlager had to work hard in the face of Spain’s dominance, making six saves, but that was not enough to prevent defeat. The team tried several changes at halftime and in the second half in an attempt to respond, but without success.

Spain in control with a young, balanced team

Luis de la Fuente opted for a well-drilled 4-2-3-1 in which the defense continued to impress, with Pau Cubarsí paired with Laporte. Right-back Pedro Porro also contributed going forward, scoring a goal and repeatedly taking the initiative on his flank. The Rodri-Pedri double pivot orchestrated the midfield well, with Baena and Olmo providing support and creativity for Oyarzabal up front, their attacking star.

Well-judged substitutions allowed Spain to maintain their intensity until the end, including the introductions of Lamine Yamal and Pedri in the closing minutes to manage the finish. The Spaniards thus continued their upward trajectory in this competition.

Austria struggle against Spanish pressing

Austria head coach Ralf Rangnick also lined his team up in a 4-2-3-1, with David Alaba in defense and Marcel Sabitzer in midfield. Despite a decent defensive shape in the first half, Austria were overwhelmed by Spain’s technical control and volume of play.

The substitutions made from halftime onward did not reverse the trend. Austria’s attacks remained toothless, without a single shot on target, and the team proved too fragile to trouble their opponent for long. A yellow card for Stefan Posch in the 83rd minute did not help calm matters.

Spain

Finished 3-0 Los Angeles Stadium

Austria

02/07/2026 20:00 Round of 32

Fil du match

36'But - M. Oyarzabal (passe M. Cucurella)Espagne, 36e
46'Remplacement - N. Seiwald (remplace C. Chukwuemeka)Autriche, 46e
46'Remplacement - X. Schlager (remplace F. Grillitsch)Autriche, 46e
60'Remplacement - M. Gregoritsch (remplace M. Arnautovic)Autriche, 60e
60'Remplacement - R. Schmid (remplace S. Kalajdzic)Autriche, 60e
66'But - P. Porro (passe A. Baena)Espagne, 66e
71'Remplacement - A. Baena (remplace F. Torres)Espagne, 71e
71'Remplacement - D. Olmo (remplace M. Merino)Espagne, 71e
83'Carton jaune - S. PoschAutriche, 83e
85'Remplacement - Lamine Yamal (remplace Gavi)Espagne, 85e
85'Remplacement - S. Posch (remplace A. Prass)Autriche, 85e
89'But - M. Oyarzabal (passe M. Cucurella)Espagne, 89e
90+3'Remplacement - Pedri (remplace F. Ruiz)Espagne, 90+3e
90+3'Remplacement - A. Laporte (remplace M. Pubill)Espagne, 90+3e

Les chiffres du match

Tirs cadres : Spain 10 / Austria 0
Tirs : Spain 22 / Austria 5
Possession : Spain 65% / Austria 35%
Corners : Spain 9 / Austria 0
Fautes : Spain 8 / Austria 14
Cartons jaunes : Spain 0 / Austria 1
Passes : Spain 613 / Austria 334
Precision des passes : Spain 91% / Austria 82%
xG : Spain 2.80 / Austria 0.49

Joueurs clés

Mikel Oyarzabal (Spain) : note 9.3, 2 but(s)
Marc Cucurella (Spain) : note 8, 2 passe(s) decisive(s)
Pedro Porro (Spain) : note 8.2, 1 but(s)
Alex Baena (Spain) : note 8.2, 1 passe(s) decisive(s)
Alexander Schlager (Austria) : note 7.2, 6 arret(s)

Round of 32 schedule

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World Cup 2026: Spain crush Austria 3-0 in the round of 32

Spain in control with a young, balanced team

Austria struggle against Spanish pressing

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