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Spain and Saudi Arabia face off this Sunday at the Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta during the second matchday of Group H of the , with both teams tied on one point and an urgent need to secure three to move closer to the knockout stage.
La Roja arrives at the match burdened by a worrying goal drought. In their debut, Spain drew 0-0 with Cape Verde despite holding 74% of possession and taking 25 shots on target without success.
The figure that most concerns the Spanish environment is 289 minutes without scoring in World Cups, since Álvaro Morata's goal against Japan on December 1, 2022, in Qatar.
The team led by Luis de la Fuente has never gone three consecutive matches without scoring in a World Cup, and if they fail to break the streak against the Saudis, they would dangerously approach France's negative record: 371 minutes without a goal from 1998 to 2006.
In addition to that drought, there's another alarming statistic: the Spaniards have gone four matches without a win in the tournament—three draws and one loss—marking their worst historical streak in the competition.
Pedri, Gavi, Rodri, Lamine Yamal, Unai Simón, Cubarsí, and Laporte are part of a squad that does not include any players from Real Madrid and features eight representatives from FC Barcelona.
De la Fuente attributed the draw against Cape Verde to the team's lack of freshness, but the pressure increases with every passing minute without a goal.
Saudi Arabia, for its part, does not approach as a minor rival. The Asian team, coached by Greek Georgios Donis started the tournament with a 1-1 draw against Uruguay at the Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, with a goal from Abdulelah Al-Amri in the 41st minute before Maximiliano Araújo equalized in the 80th.
The Saudis arrive with the vivid memory of their 2-1 victory over Argentina in Qatar 2022, one of the biggest surprises in the recent history of the tournament, which showcased their ability to compete against any opponent when they enforce their tactical discipline.
The history, however, clearly favors Spain. La Roja has won all three previous encounters between the two teams, scoring nine goals and conceding only two, including a 1-0 victory in Germany 2006.
Historical records also do not favor Asians against European rivals: they have lost ten of their eleven World Cup matches against teams from the Old Continent, with the only exception being their 1-0 victory over Belgium in the 1994 United States tournament, thanks to the famous goal from Saeed Al-Owairan.
The is scheduled for 12:00 PM Cuban time at the Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, with Group H completely tied and the three points being the only currency that can change the landscape before the decisive day.
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