La Roja Reignited: Oyarzabal's Brace Dismantles Austria as Spain Set Up Iberian Derby With Portugal
Mikel Oyarzabal scored twice and Pedro Porro headed his first international goal as Spain cruised past Austria 3-0 at SoFi Stadium — extending their unbeaten run to 34 games and earning a Round of 16 showdown with Portugal.
⚽ Play today's FootWord while you read — freeThe doubts that came with Spain's group-stage draw against Cape Verde were swept away at SoFi Stadium. Against Austria in the Round of 32, Luis de la Fuente's side were composed, controlled, and ultimately relentless — and Mikel Oyarzabal was the player who made it look easy. The Sociedad striker's brace carried Spain into the knockout rounds with the kind of fluency that makes them the most feared team at this tournament when they are running.
Oyarzabal broke the deadlock late in the first half, finishing calmly after Spain's interplay unpicked the Austrian backline. Pedro Porro doubled the advantage midway through the second half, rising to power a header home from Álex Baena's cross — the Tottenham right-back's first ever goal for his country, greeted with a roar of celebration that shook the stadium. Oyarzabal sealed it by slotting home after Marcus Cucurella's cut-back found him perfectly placed, his fourth goal of the tournament placing him in the Golden Boot conversation alongside Mbappé, Messi, and Haaland.
The win extends Spain's remarkable unbeaten run to 34 matches under De la Fuente. Since the reigning European champions lost in the Nations League final, they have not been defeated — and the consistency of their collective quality, even in a game where their opponents gave plenty to work with in the first hour, underlines just how deep and dangerous this squad is.
The bracket has produced a Round of 16 fixture that nobody in Spanish or Portuguese football could have scripted. Spain versus Portugal — the Iberian derby, in a World Cup knockout match, for the first time. On one side, Oyarzabal in full flow and a side with a 34-game unbeaten run. On the other, Ronaldo fresh off his first WC knockout goal and Ramos with the winning habit. This one will be something.
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