Rise of a Football God-Chapter 515: Round of 32; Spain vs South Korea

[FIFA World Cup 2026 – Round of 32:]

[Match 2: Spain vs South Korea]

[Venue: Levi’s Stadium, Santa Clara, California, USA]

[Date: June 30th, 2026]

[Kick-off: 20:00 local time]

[Referee: Daniele Orsato (Italy)]

There were over 68,000 fans in attendance at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara.

The weather was stable at 18 degrees centigrade, accentuated by a cool evening breeze, perfect for high-octane football.

This wasn’t just a game. This was a cultural clash of tempo and defiance.

Spain, having topped Group F with two commanding wins and a draw, entered with swagger. South Korea, one of the last third-placed teams to qualify, were here to prove that underdogs could bite hard.

From the first minute, this was a rollercoaster, a brilliant tactical battle and a show of elite-level finishing.

And in the middle of it all? Lamine Yamal. The 19 year old prodigy delivered a performance for the ages at the Round of 32.

Both nations started with their best lineups.

Luis de la Fuente started his Spanish side in their regular 4-3-3 formation, Unai Simon in goal, while ahead of him was a solid defensive quadruple of Dani Carvajal, Robin Le Normand, Dean Huijsen, and Alejandro Balde.

In midfield was the power trio of Rodri, Pedri, and Fabian Ruiz.

In attack was Lamine Yamal in left wing, Nico Williams in right wing, and Mikel Oyarzabal leading the line as the striker.

As for South Korea, they started in a 4-2-3-1 formation with Kim Seung-gyu starting in between the posts, with a defensive quadruple of Kim Tae-hwan, Kim Min-jae, Jung Seung-hun, and Lee Ki-je starting ahead of him.

In midfield was the duo of Hwang In-beom and Park Yong-woo, while the attacking midfielders were Lee Kang-in, Son Heung-min, and Hwan Hee-chan.

Cho Gue-sung led the line for the South Koreans as the striker.

FWEEE!

The game started and from the first minute, Spain dictated possession.

South Korea came to Levi’s Stadium with grand ambitions for an upset. Hours earlier at the Mercedes-Benz, Ghana managed to accomplish their grand ambitions against Switzerland.

This Spain side was a whole other ball game, but still... a nation could dream. And so, South Korea dreamed.

But reality was quite different from what the South Koreans expected.

For the first 10 minutes of the game, Spain was imperious, hoarding possession, as they dominated with a 75% possession rate.

Despite the Spanish domination, South Korea were compact and dangerous on the break, for a while... till it came crumbling down.

BZZZ!

15 minutes, GOAL!

Lamine Yamal, the boy wonder set the stadium aflame in the 15th minute of the game, breaking the deadlock after early Spain pressure.

From a Pedri backheel at the edge of the box, Yamal cut inside from the right, skipped past one defender, and curled an unstoppable shot into the top left.

Spain 1-0 South Korea.

South Korea was humbled.

Tensions flared.

Pushed to the wall, pride and qualification on the line, the South Korean fans set aside logic and simply roared on their team.

Spain dominated still, but it felt like a mantra rang in the stadium.

’Win!’ ’Win!’ ’Win!’

The South Korean players dug in. They kept on running, chasing the ball, chasing ghosts, and then...

BAM!

Instant response.

When it felt like Spain’s momentum could not be stopped, against the run of play, South Korea hit back with a blistering counter.

Lee Kang-in released Son on the left, who rolled back the years with a vintage run, danced around Carvajal and drilled a low finish under Simon.

The Korean fans went wild as the stadium erupted.

Son slid in celebration, setting the stadium ablaze.

The game continued and Spain kept pressing, but Korea’s midfield held firm, until another burst of brilliance.

Bam!

Another Spanish bullet went in through Oyarzabal in the 39th minute.

A deep cross from Balde found Oyarzabal, who outjumped Kim Min-jae and powered a header home.

2-1.

Spain led again before the break.

The first half came to an end 2-1.

The second half could be defined in a single sentence: The red wave vs the wall.

Korea made early changes, bringing on Jeong Woo-yeong and Kim Young-gwon. The Taeguk Warriors upped the tempo.

And then in the 54th minute, South Korea caused an internet meltdown.

From a recycled corner, Hwang Hee-chan blasted a volley into the top right.

BOOM!

The net rippled. The bench exploded.

2-2.

The drama was building to a crescendo.

The whole world expected Spain to blow South Korea out of the water, not this... definitely not a 2-2 draw by this point of the game.

Spain was under the pressure cooker, but Yamal was not done.

After 2-2, the South Koreans were infused with energy, and momentum. They ran themselves to the ground, keeping Spain’s fearsome attack at bay.

But then...

In the 68th minute of the game, Lamine Yamal erupted again.

BZZZ!

Receiving the ball in a tight space near the right corner of the box, Yamal nutmegged his marker, then lasered a low shot through three bodies and into the bottom corner.

3-2.

A moment of magic!

BOOM!

The stadium exploded even as Yamal ran to the corner flag, celebrating wildly with a big smile on his face.

South Korea were behind. And once again, they were under pressure, and forced to do the impossible to save their World Cup bid.

They tried, but...

FWEEE!

Penalty to Spain in the 76th minute.

Foul on Nico Williams by Lee Ki-je. The referee checked with VAR, and his decision was supported. The penalty stood.

Oyarzabal stepped up to take the penalty.

In the 77th minute, Mikel Oyarzabal of Spain sent the goalkeeper the wrong way, burying it with cold precision into the corner of the net.

4-2.

Korea looked crushed.

But stubborn and defiant, they refused to die.

In the 90th plus 1 minute, a fierce header off a Lee Kang-in corner went in.

4-3.

Too little, too late for South Korea. But they were full of heart.

FWEEE!

The referee’s whistle made millions of Spanish fans around the world heave a sigh of relief.

’Motherf*cking Koreans!’

[FULL-TIME: Spain 4-3 South Korea]

It was an unforgettable battle.

South Korea went home as heroes. Spain? They went through, obviously shaken, but shining.

Lamine Yamal won the man of the match award for his 2 goals, 1 pre-assist, 6 take-ons completed, and 4 chances created.

Like the commentator said.

"A teenager playing like a king. This World Cup may be his stage after all".

In tears, Son Heung-min faced the media.

"We gave everything. I couldn’t be prouder. They’ll remember Korea".

Luis de la Fuente, the Spain head coach also had a few words.

"We were tested like never before. But this group knows how to suffer, and how to win".