Lamine Yamal was the talk of Atlanta before kick-off, and the conversation has not stopped since. The 18-year-old delivered a stunning first-half display as Spain dismantled Saudi Arabia 4-0, announcing himself as the defining figure of this World Cup.

Having been limited to just 19 minutes of substitute action in Spain's shock goalless draw with Cape Verde, Yamal started this match fit enough and hungry for it — and the crowd felt his presence before he had even touched the ball. Thousands of supporters wore his name on their backs, and every time his face appeared on the big screen, the stadium erupted.

A goal that belonged to history

When Yamal did get on the ball, he transformed the half entirely. Spain had promised a bolder, more direct approach, and they delivered it with conviction. The opener was fittingly his: a low cross flashed across the face of goal, and Yamal slid in at the back post to convert — his first World Cup goal, and one that sent the Atlanta stadium into delirium.

That strike made Yamal the seventh player in history to score at a World Cup before turning 19, and only the second aged 18 or younger to open the scoring in a match. The other was a 17-year-old Pelé, who scored for Brazil against Wales in 1958.

Azpilicueta, Rooney, and the weight of expectation

His former Spain team-mate Cesar Azpilicueta was full of admiration.