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Spain will be hungry to bounce back from a shock 0-0 draw against Cape Verde in their opening World Cup 2026 match when they take on Saudi Arabia in Group H in Atlanta on Sunday evening.
A win here could see La Roja take control of the group heading into the final game, but another slip-up would put their chances of reaching the knockouts in serious jeopardy.
Meanwhile, Saudi Arabia earned a commendable 1-1 draw against Uruguay in their opener, but know they will be underdogs again here.
Read our prediction, preview and betting tips for the game below, and make sure to check out our today's betting tips page for more of our expert predictions, as well as our best free bet offers world cup.
Spain vs. Saudi Arabia key stats
- Spain are unbeaten in 11 internationals (W7, D4).
- Saudi Arabia are also unbeaten in their last three outings (W1, D2).
- Spain have won the previous three H2Hs, with the last coming in 2012.
Spain vs. Saudi Arabia preview: La Roja to record vital victory?
| Spain | vs | Saudi Arabia |
|---|---|---|
| 2 | FIFA Ranking | 61 |
| Rodri (63) | Most Caps | Salem Al-Dawsari (112) |
| Mikel Oyarzabal (25) | Most Goals | Salem Al-Dawsari (27) |
| 758 | Total Caps | 943 |
| 117 | Total Goals | 97 |
| 0 | Uncapped Players | 0 |
Spain's shock stalemate with Cape Verde extended their winless run at World Cup finals to four games (D3, L1).
La Roja have never gone five matches without victory, and so Luis de la Fuente will be determined to put things right.
He could be tempted to throw in superstar Lamine Yamal from the start after the teenager got some minutes off the bench, but he still needs to be managed after just returning from injury, while Nico Williams is another pushing for a start.
Spain are still big favourites to beat Saudi Arabia, and a win here would move them to four points and almost guarantee a place in the knockouts.
The Green Falcons are in a similar position though having earned a point against Uruguay in their first match.
Should they produce another surprise and beat Spain, then they too can think about the knockout stages, which they have not reached since 1994.
Ironically, that was on USA soil too, and the Saudis have experience of giant-killings at the World Cup, having beaten eventual champions Argentina in the group stage in 2022.
Georgios Donis has no fresh concerns in his squad, so could be tempted to field a similar XI that frustrated Uruguay to try and thwart the European champions.
Spain vs. Saudi Arabia form guide & betting tips
| Spain | vs | Saudi Arabia |
|---|---|---|
WDDWD |
Form | LLWDD |
| 7 | Goals For | 6 |
| 2 | Goals Against | 5 |
D |
World Cup 2026 | D |
Whispers predicts: Spain 2-0 Saudi Arabia
Spain are 1/8 (1.13) favourites to win, but while we side with the bookies, these odds are too short for us to back.
Instead, our first pick is BTTS – No at 21/50 (1.42), which offers slightly better odds and has a good chance of coming through given Spain have conceded just twice across their last five games and kept three clean sheets.
A more ambitious bet would be Under 2.5 goals at 9/5 (2.80), as although Spain have hardly conceded in recent matches, they have also been relatively goal-shy with just seven scored in their previous five outings.
Overall, we are predicting a Correct score – 2-0 at 5/1 (6.00), which reflects how we feel the game will go.
> BTTS – No at 21/50 (1.42) | Likelihood: Probable
> Under 2.5 goals at 9/5 (2.80) | Likelihood: Possible
> Correct score – 2-0 at 5/1 (6.00) | Likelihood: Outsider