In a stunning display of football at the Al Thumama Stadium in Qatar, Spain dominated Costa Rica with a 7-0 win during the 2022 World Cup. This vintage performance served as a warning to the rest of the field, proving that Spain is a serious contender for the title. The result gave them the biggest win in their World Cup history and handed them the lead in Group E. Under the guidance of Luis Enrique, the team played a high-class, aggressive game that stood out as the most impressive performance of the tournament up to that point.
The scoring began in the 11th minute when Dani Olmo found the back of the net with a smooth turn and shot. Olmo combined beautifully with Pedri near the box before lifting the ball over keeper Keylor Navas. This historic moment marked Spain's 100th goal in the World Cup and Olmo's first personal tally on the big stage. Shortly after, Marco Asensio made it 2-0, finishing off a well-placed ball from Jordi Alba.
Costa Rica's struggles deepened in the 31st minute when a foul by Oscar Duarte on Jordi Alba resulted in a penalty. Ferran Torres converted the spot-kick with ease to extend the lead to 3-0. Spain's control was absolute; their fluid passing and movement left the Costa Rican side with almost no possession, forcing them to spend most of the first half simply chasing shadows.
Spain's attacking momentum continued into the second half, leading to Ferran Torres' second goal in the 54th minute. After Torres played a ball into the channel for Gavi, the youngster returned it perfectly, allowing Torres to slide the ball past Navas. Later, in the 74th minute, Gavi got on the scoresheet himself with a brilliant volley. The play was set up by Alvaro Morata, who, after being pushed wide by the keeper, delivered a clever chip to Gavi at the edge of the box, who finished it clinically.
At just 18, Gavi became the youngest goalscorer in World Cup history since Pele's legendary strike in the 1958 final. To round off the rout, substitute Carlos Soler netted the sixth goal in the 90th minute, followed quickly by a seventh from fellow substitute Morata.
Following such a convincing win, Spain heads into their Sunday clash with Germany brimming with confidence. For Germany, however, the stakes are desperate; after a surprising loss to Japan, they must win this match to avoid an early exit from the tournament.