Key events<\/p>\n
4 min: Baena comes in on the overload and Al Owais, the Saudi keeper, is grateful to claim. Next, Yamal sees glory, cutting in beyond Al Harbi. The shot is off-target.<\/p>\n
Share<\/a><\/p>\n 3 min: It\u2019s taken short, then Yamal delivers it in. The Saudis seem \u2013 so far \u2013 to be strong in the air.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n 2 min: Baena wins a corner for Spain<\/a>. Yamal will take it, to cheers.<\/p>\n Share<\/a>All go in Atlanta!<\/p>\n 1 min: On Luis De La Fuente\u2019s 65th birthday, what can Spain<\/a> find. Yamal is on the ball soon enough, dragging Saudi defenders all over the show. And the crowd went wild. The ball is cleared by Al Amri.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Michael Jones has some memory on him: \u201cHoping you can help myself and some friends to fact check what has become almost a mythical World Cup<\/a> moment for us that we still talk about to this day.<\/p>\n \u201cIn the 2006 World Cup while we were at University in Cardiff, the Spain v Saudi Arabia<\/a> game was played the same time as another last day match, so BBC relegated it to another channel. So far so normal, however (and this is where things get less believable) we are convinced that it was screened on UKTV\/UK Gold and even weirder that the panel featured Brian Blessed and Jason McAteer!<\/p>\n \u201cWe have never seen any replays, clips or even TV listings to prove this fever dream actually happened. This is a plea on the 20th Anniversary to you and the beloved Guardian readers to help us fact check this and put our ever-declining memories to rest.\u201d<\/p>\n UKGTV2, as it was called, did show the tournament. A close friend worked on the production.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Nick Rommel gets in touch: \u201cThe idea that Lalas may be a clown, but he\u2019s our clown, has become much less endearing over the last few years as the man has turned out to be a full-throated MAGA supporter. Maurice Edu, on the other hand, has done a fantastic job commentating alongside Tyler Terens, is nearly as tactically insightful as Thierry Henry, and I hope he takes on a bigger role in Fox\u2019s soccer coverage in the future. Yes Edu still has that brash American-ness that is an awkward but entertaining counterweight to European ex-stars and broadcasters. Lalas out, Edu in.\u201d<\/p>\n A pal message to say Lalas has just called Yamal a \u201cfee-nom\u201d.<\/p>\n Mary Waltz gets in touch: \u201cThank you for the brilliant Lalas v Henry article. I root for the USMNT hard as anyone. But Fox and Lalas\u2019s treatment of this inclusive world wide football\/ soccer celebration as a provincial USA invitational makes me vomit, ashamed. He barely recognizes we are co hosts with Mexico and Canada.\u201d<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Spain\u2019s anthem first, followed by Saudi Arabia\u2019s. Lamine Yamal plays it cool as the camera focuses on him. The Saudi anthem suggests there\u2019s a few fans in the stadium, and a few come in shot.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n The teams \u2013 squads, in fact \u2013 leave the tunnel to take to the air-conditioned field in Atlanta. Spain<\/a> don\u2019t wish to come second in this group, as Argentina may loom in \u201cthe 32\u201d.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n In the opening half an hour against Cape Verde, Mikel Oyarzabal, the centre-forward, did not get a single touch.<\/p>\n Oyarzabal profile<\/a>Share<\/a><\/p>\n Kyle Green gets in touch: \u201cYour highlighting of Lalas and his absurdity is something that has prevented me from wanting to watch the coverage on Fox. While every channel has its pros and cons I just can\u2019t.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m 45 and probably the youngest of anyone who remembers him as a player instead of an opinionated insert insult here. As for the match this could be more competitive than it looks on paper Spain need a win the pressure is on them. Saudi Arabia<\/a> could hold out for a draw and see what happens in their last match. \u201c<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n News from the England camp, and it seems to be good news on Declan Rice.<\/p>\n double quotation mark\u201cI\u2019m ready and fit, raring to go. I was feeling a little bit of neural pain in my hamstring, which I was managing from after Christmas with Arsenal for a very long time. Obviously, not a lot of people would have known that. It was all behind-the-scenes stuff but it was a smart decision.<\/p>\n \u201cIn the end, that last 20 minutes is probably where you pick up the most, and it\u2019s where you play a 70-minute match. But that last 20 is where you really feel your body going for it. And I think it was a smart decision because the last few days I felt really, really good.\u201d<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Alex Reid has penned today\u2019s weekend special Football Daily.<\/p>\n double quotation markPortugal v Uzbekistan on Tuesday enticingly pits the incredibly nice, incredibly 41-year-old-superstar-tolerant Roberto Mart\u00ednez against Fabio Cannavaro, who\u2019s won a Ballon d\u2019Or as a player and the Chinese Super League as a coach. While the fixture following that game really does see the dream of Thomas Tuchel \u2013 in his first international job with England \u2013 taking on Queiroz, who is in charge of his ninth national side with Ghana.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n The expected formations are 4-2-3-1 for Spain, and 5-3-2 for the Saudi Arabians.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n The Saudi team features two Donis changes: Ali Lajami, a defender, and Nasser Al Dawsari, a midfielder, are preferred to Mohammed Abu Al Shamat and Mohamed Kanno. You may recall Salem Al Dawsari, the Saudi captain, as the man who scored the winner against Argentina.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n An entertaining read, even for those of us who have just seen the clips.<\/p>\n double quotation markIn a conversation where his co-panelist is casually reminiscing about his days playing alongside Messi or exchanging shirts with Ronaldo Naz\u00e1rio at the World Cup, what exactly is Lalas going to talk about \u2013 coming on as a second-half substitute for Earnie Stewart in a friendly against Scotland in 1998? Helping the Kansas City Wizards finish last in the 1999 MLS Western Conference? Did Lalas enjoy an elite playing career? No. But does he do the background reading that could compensate for his relative lack of standing in a conversation with titans like Henry and Zlatan? Also no. But is he charming or funny or charismatic or otherwise magnetic on screen? Eh, no.<\/p>\n For the record, I once interviewed Alexi Lalas on the challenge of playing against Romario in the 1994 World Cup<\/a>. He had this to say:<\/p>\n \u201cHe could kill you in so many different ways. If you remember from that World Cup, he scored so many types of goals. That ranged from solo adventures to an outside-of-the-right-foot half-volley off a corner kick. Romario was both the most difficult to play against and the best that I have faced.<\/p>\n \u201cRoberto Baggio was doing his thing, but in terms of consistency and living up to the hype, he [Romario] was the best. As with all stars, there was a moment when the fans sit up in their seats, and that was a feeling I got with Romario. When it got close to him and the potential for his involvement in a play was there, everybody sat up in their seat. They knew that something spectacular would be happening.\u201d<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Saturday\u2019s match reports here.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n The Saudi Arabia<\/a> coach, and Blackburn legend, Georgios Donis, spoke about the challenges facing his team: \u201cSpain is not the same \u2060team when Yamal or Williams are on the bench.<\/p>\n \u201cWhile they still have plenty of possession, they lack the individual one-on-one penetration when these two are \u2060missing. I\u2019m not saying it\u2019s a problem for Spain<\/a>, but when those players are missing, they play in a \u200bdifferent way. We saw this very clearly against \u200cCape Verde.<\/p>\n \u201cWe are playing against one of the best teams in the world, and it\u2019s very important that when you play against these kinds of teams, you \u200cshould enjoy the experience and respect the opponent, but not too much.<\/p>\n \u201cIt is very hard for any team playing against Spain to \u200bhave any time in possession. So what we must do is to be more in control of our movement and compact, and when the ball goes through the lines, be able to defend dynamically.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s nice to see miracles in football, and we\u2019ve seen favourites losing against underdogs. \u200bOf course, it\u2019s great for Saudi \u200bfootball to have a great memory of \u200bthe result against Argentina, but we aren\u2019t drawing anything from that.<\/p>\n \u201cI think we\u2019ll feel more pressure in that [Cape Verde] game than we will against Spain.\u201d<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n The Spain<\/a> coach, Luis De La Fuente had this to say in his Saturday press conference: \u201cThis generation of footballers is highly competitive and really fired up… It\u2019s going to be a completely different story,\u201d he said at his pre-match press conference on Saturday. There is no drama or crisis. The bottom line is simply that we need to win tomorrow.\u201d<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Four changes for Spain: Lamine Yamal, Pedro Porro, Dani Olmo and Alex Baena also come into the side with Marcos Llorente, Fabian Ruiz, Ferran Torres and Gavi dropping out.<\/p>\n Share<\/a>The teams – Lamine Yamal starts<\/p>\n Spain: Simon, Porro, Cubarsi, Laporte, Cucurella, Gonzalez, Rodri, Yamal, Olmo, Baena, Oyarzabal. Subs: Raya, Joan Garcia, Pubill, Grimaldo, Eric Garcia, Llorente, Merino, Torres, Fabian, Gavi, Pino, Williams, Zubimendi, Munoz, Iglesias.<\/p>\n Saudi Arabia: Al Owais, Abdulhamid, Tambakti, Lajami, Al Amri, Al Harbi, Nasser Al Dawsari, Al Khaibari, Al Juwayr, Al Buraikan, Salem Al Dawsari. Subs: Al Aqidi, Al Kassar, Majrashi, Yahya, Al Shehri, Al Boushal, Kadesh, Al Johani, Al Ghannam, Al Hajji, Al Hamdan, Mandash, Kanno, Thakri, Abu Al Shamat.<\/p>\n Referee: Raphael Claus (Brazil)<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Perhaps one of the Saudi -players can write themselves into this high-grade selection?<\/p>\n Perhaps it can be their goalkeeper.<\/p>\n Al-Aqidi profile<\/a>Share<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a010.30 EDT<\/p>\n Madrid screening of Spain v Saudi Arabia<\/a> cancelled due to heat<\/p>\n The public screening of Spain\u2019s World Cup<\/a> match against Saudi Arabia in Madrid on Sunday has been cancelled because of extreme heat forecast for the Spanish capital, officials said.<\/p>\n The match, due to kick off at 6pm local time on Sunday, had been scheduled to be shown on a giant screen installed by the Spanish football federation (RFEF) at a fan zone in Plaza de Col\u00f3n in central Madrid.<\/p>\n Madrid city council and the federation decided to cancel the screening after national weather agency AEMET issued an orange heat warning \u2013 the second-highest level \u2013 for the Madrid region, with temperatures forecast to reach 40C.<\/p>\n \u201cThe decision has been taken with the aim of protecting the health of attendees, event staff and support services involved in the event,\u201d Madrid city hall said in a statement, apologising for any inconvenience.<\/p>\n Officials urged supporters to watch the match indoors in air-conditioned spaces and avoid prolonged exposure to the heat.<\/p>\n Large parts of Spain<\/a> are experiencing unusually high temperatures for June as a mass of hot air from North Africa moves across the Iberian Peninsula.<\/p>\n A total of 13 of Spain\u2019s 17 regions are on orange alert for heat on Sunday, while the northern Basque Country bordering France is on red alert, the highest level.<\/p>\n Authorities advised residents and visitors to take precautions during the heatwave, including drinking water regularly, staying in cool environments, limiting outdoor physical activity during the hottest hours of the day and taking extra care of vulnerable people. AFP<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a010.17 EDT<\/p>\n Can Saudi Arabia<\/a> repeat the magic of 2022?<\/p>\n double quotation markArgentina arrived in Qatar on a 36-game unbeaten run. When Lionel Messi opened the scoring from the penalty spot after 10 minutes, a comfortable afternoon seemed in the offing. Saleh al-Shehri and Salem al-Dawsari had other ideas, Argentina had three goals disallowed for offside in the space of 13 minutes and the greatest comeback in Saudi Arabia football history was made. Argentina went on to lift the trophy, while defeats to Poland and Mexico meant the Saudis did not reach the knock-out stage.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Unai Simon over David Raya is a controversial choice for De la Fuentes. The Arsenal keeper could lay claim to being Europe\u2019s best this season.<\/p>\n double quotation mark\u201cThose at the Champions League final had a few more days, so I got there on the Wednesday night,\u201d Raya says. \u201cI arrived a bit before Fabi\u00e1n [Ruiz]. I was saying hello to some of the others in reception when he arrived. I went to say congratulations; that was almost the first thing I did. I couldn\u2019t really talk [to him] after the final; I just didn\u2019t have it in me. The next day we talked about the game properly. Just two mates chatting \u2026 I was happy for him that he could lift the trophy for a second time.\u201d<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n A high pressure game for the European champions, as Sid Lowe reports.<\/p>\n double quotation mark\u201cIf we had scored one, the game would have changed,\u201d Mart\u00edn Zubimendi said. Immediately after the game, De la Fuente had offered a simple analysis: when the ball doesn\u2019t want to go in it doesn\u2019t want to go in, he insisted. Spain had racked up 27 shots, after all. Ferran Torres had hit the bar and seen another clear opportunity saved. Vozinha, the 40-year-old goalkeeper who stopped that, saved six more and was named the man of the match<\/a>. \u201cThere\u2019s nothing to reproach the team for,\u201d Rodri said. \u201cWe generated chances but couldn\u2019t put it away; the good thing is they created almost nothing.\u201d<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n We wait to see what role Lamine Yamal will play today. His coach would surely like to be able to use him.<\/p>\n double quotation markThe worst mistake we could make would be to compare him to anyone. He is the midst of a process. He has exceptional footballing maturity and lives it all with total naturalness. He has great serenity and strength. We have to let him follow his path but those players who have something different are ready for that. They\u2019re geniuses, like Dal\u00ed [who] can paint a picture, or Michelangelo. They\u2019re different. What is exceptional to us, isn\u2019t to them. In those extremes, they feel comfortable. Why? Because they are different. What we think is exceptional, they consider normal.<\/p>\n Lamine Yamal profile<\/a>Share<\/a>Preamble<\/p>\n Spain\u2019s campaign did not get off to a flying start, and Luis de la Fuentes may wake up in the night to visions of Cape Verde\u2019s Vozinha. He will have Georgia on his mind ever since Monday. Saudi Arabia<\/a> are no pushovers and gave Uruguay a scare in their opening match. Memories of downing Argentina four years ago still abound, and so Spain might beware. They can ill afford to go into the final game with Uruguay at a disadvantage. All eyes on Lamine Yamal, whose fitness situation remains opaque, though Spain need their other forwards to come to the party.<\/p>\n Kick-off 5pm UK, 1pm ET, 2am AEST. Join me.<\/p>\n