Lamine Yamal scored twice and provided an assist as World Cup champions Spain defeated Croatia 4-1 in their UEFA Nations League match in Seville.
The 19-year-old winger opened the scoring at the Ramon Sanchez-Pizjuan stadium after just 70 seconds following a 25-pass move involving one minute and 10 seconds of continuous possession from kick-off. Yamal received the ball on the right flank, cut inside, and curled a left-footed strike into the far corner past Croatian goalkeeper Dominik Livakovic without an opposition player touching the ball, a goal reminiscent of the Netherlands in the 1974 World Cup final.
Croatia equalised in the 28th minute when tall striker Dion Drena Beljo got ahead of defender Dean Huijsen inside the six-yard box to head home their first clear chance. Spain restored their advantage three minutes later when Yamal delivered a right-footed cross from the right wing for Marc Pubill to head past Livakovic, marking Pubill's first goal for the senior national team.
Early control and first-half pressure
Spain dominated long stretches of the opening half, creating early opportunities when Alex Baena forced a save from Livakovic inside the penalty area. In the 20th minute, Yamal dribbled past two defenders before Ivan Perisic intervened, with the loose ball falling to Pau Cubarsi, who sent a long-range effort wide of the post.
Mikel Oyarzabal had a goal disallowed after turning in a rebound from a Fermin Lopez shot, while Lopez hit the post in the 44th minute as Spain maintained control. The match featured early disciplinary action, with Hrvoje Pongracic receiving a yellow card in the sixth minute for a late challenge on Cubarsi, and Petar Sucic booked in the 37th minute for a foul on Spanish goalkeeper Unai Simon.
Second-half dominance and closing goals
The second half began with additional cautions as Baena was booked in the 48th minute for pushing, Marco Pasalic received a yellow card in the 53rd minute for a foul on Marc Cucurella, and Josip Misic was booked in the 58th minute for a tackle from behind on Baena. Spain manager Luis de la Fuente refreshed his squad in the 57th minute, bringing on Pedri and Mikel Merino for Lopez and Fabian Ruiz, while Croatia introduced Ante Budimir and Mario Pasalic for Beljo and Mateo Kovacic in the 60th minute.
Yamal scored his second goal of the night in the 64th minute after receiving a pass from Pedri. Driving into the penalty area, Yamal found the narrow gap inside Livakovic's near post to make it 3-1. Yamal, who was also Spain's top ball recoverer during the match, was substituted in the 68th minute alongside Baena, making way for Victor Munoz and Nico Williams to a standing ovation.
Croatia brought on Franjo Ivanovic for Perisic in the 72nd minute, while Spain sent on Rodri for Martin Zubimendi. Williams scored Spain's fourth goal in the 89th minute, beating Livakovic with a left-footed strike to cap a passing move involving Rodri, Dani Olmo, Merino, and Yamal. De la Fuente had previously emphasized the importance of substitute players entering from the bench to influence matches.
Squad changes and historic context
Luka Modric, who started on the bench alongside Kovacic and Ivan Rakitic in an experienced Croatian midfield selection, entered the match in the 80th minute to a standing ovation from the crowd. The 41-year-old midfielder had Croatia's final chance in the 90th minute, but his central shot was comfortably saved by Simon. Croatia had arrived in Seville led by delegation chief Slaven Bilic following a 2-1 victory over the Czech Republic, where Modric had scored.
De la Fuente made five changes to the starting lineup that defeated England at Wembley Stadium in Spain's previous Nations League match. Aymeric Laporte, Rodri, Olmo, Inaki Williams, and Ferran Torres moved to the bench, while Robin Le Normand, Roberto, and Yeremy Pino were left out of the matchday squad entirely. Defender Ivan Fresneda was named on the bench as the sole potential debutant, wearing shirt number 4, while Cubarsi and Huijsen paired in central defense for only the second time after playing together against Bulgaria in 2025.
The fixture was Spain's first at the Ramon Sanchez-Pizjuan stadium since 1994, when they faced Denmark. Before kick-off, Jesus Navas brought the World Cup trophy onto the pitch and presented it to Rodri to display to the supporters, while the Royal Spanish Football Federation honored veteran manager Joaquin Caparros. De la Fuente returned to a stadium where he formerly played and coached, while midfielder Fabian Ruiz, born in nearby Los Palacios and a Real Betis supporter, featured in his home region.
Unbeaten run and upcoming fixtures
De la Fuente reflected on his career path, stating that the 18 months he previously spent unemployed had served as a great lesson. His side has now extended its unbeaten run to 40 matches across all competitions. Although Spain conceded only one goal across eight matches during their World Cup campaign, they have conceded three goals in two Nations League matches.
The historical head-to-head record between Spain and Croatia now stands at seven Spanish wins, three Croatian victories, and one draw in 11 encounters, following Spain's 3-0 win at Euro 2024. Spain next travel to Oviedo to face the Czech Republic at the Carlos Tartiere stadium on Saturday at 20:45.
