Oyarzabal leads Spain past Austria into World Cup round of 16

Spain beat Austria 3-0 at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California, with Mikel Oyarzabal scoring in the 36th and 89th minutes and Pedro Porro adding the third in the 66th. The result sent Spain into the World Cup round of 16 and kept its tournament record unblemished without conceding a goal.

The win carried added weight for Luis de la Fuente’s side. It was Spain’s first victory in a World Cup knockout match since the 2010 title run, and it extended an unbeaten streak that now stands at 34 games. More than the scoreline, the performance showed an attack with more than one route to goal, with Oyarzabal finishing twice and Porro scoring his first World Cup goal.

Oyarzabal again looked like the player Spain turns to when the stakes rise. FIFA pointed to the Real Sociedad forward’s influence after he delivered the decisive goal in the UEFA Euro 2024 final, and noted that he arrived at this tournament with 11 goals and six assists in his last 10 Spain caps. Against Austria, he gave Spain control before halftime and then closed the match late, reinforcing his status as one of the side’s most reliable finishers.

Porro’s goal offered another sign of depth in a squad that has spread scoring responsibility across the pitch. Spain did not need a single dominant spell from one star to finish the job, and that variety could matter as the knockout rounds tighten. Before kickoff, Austria coach Ralf Rangnick had called his side “massive underdogs,” a description that fit the balance of play as Spain handled the pressure and protected its clean sheet.

Spain now moves on to the next round, where it will meet either Portugal or Croatia. With Oyarzabal in form, Porro contributing from deep, and Spain still undefeated in the tournament, de la Fuente’s team heads into the last 16 with more attacking options than a one-man show.