Spain vs Austria: Spanish Duo create History, Repeat 68-year-old Rare Feat. in Round of 32 Clash

Spain’s FIFA World Cup 2026 Round of 32 clash against Austria has already produced a remarkable piece of football history before a ball was even kicked.

The reigning European champions entered the knockout stage as one of the tournament favourites after topping Group H. Following an opening draw with Cape Verde, La Roja responded emphatically by defeating Saudi Arabia before edging Uruguay 1-0 to finish first in the group. Their reward is a Round of 32 showdown against an Austria side that qualified from Group J after an impressive campaign.

Spain Duo Create History

Ahead of the match, Spain has created a piece of history as head coach Luis de la Fuente named teenage sensations Lamine Yamal and Pau Cubarsí in the starting XI, making them the first pair of teenagers to start a FIFA World Cup knockout match for the same nation in 68 years.

The previous instance dates back to the 1958 FIFA World Cup, when Brazil fielded Pele and Jose Altafini as teenagers in their quarter-final against Wales. That tournament famously launched Pelé’s legendary international career, culminating in Brazil lifting their first World Cup trophy.

Yamal, still only 18, has already established himself as one of world football’s brightest stars, while 19-year-old centre-back Cubarsí has become a defensive mainstay despite his young age. Both products of Barcelona’s famed La Masia academy, they are key in La Roja’s campaign.

Austria coach Ralf Rangnick admitted before the contest that stopping Yamal would be central to his side’s hopes of causing an upset, underlining the teenager’s growing influence on the global stage.

Spain vs Austria Starting XIs

Spain: Unai Simon; Pedro Porro, Pau Cubarsi, Aymeric Laporte, Marc Cucurella; Rodri, Pedri; Lamine Yamal, Dani Olmo, Alex Baena; Mikel Oyarzabal

Austria: Alexander Schlager; Stefan Posch, Kevin Danso, David Alaba, Konrad Laimer; Nicolas Seiwald, Xaver Schelgar; Romano Schmid, Paul Wanner, Marcel Sabitzer; Michael Gregoritsch