Lamine Yamal delivered a stunning performance, scoring two goals and assisting another, as Spain triumphed over Croatia with a decisive 4-1 victory on Tuesday in the Nations League. This match marked Spain's first home game following their World Cup victory.

Yamal wasted no time making an impact, netting his first goal just 75 seconds into the match. This impressive feat brought his international goal tally to nine in 36 appearances.

Dion Beljo equalized for Croatia just before the half-hour mark, heading in from an Ivan Perisic cross. However, Spain quickly regained the lead when Marc Pubill scored with a header from another precise cross by Yamal just two minutes later.

Yamal turned scorer again in the 63rd minute, beating Dominik Livakovic, Croatia's goalkeeper and his Barcelona teammate, at the near post. The match concluded with Nico Williams sealing the victory for Spain, scoring the fourth goal with a slick finish in the final moments.

Looking ahead, Spain's next challenge is against Czechia on Saturday in Group A3. Yamal's stellar performance has bolstered his candidacy for the Ballon d’Or, with voting closing recently and the winner set to be announced on October 26.

Before the match, Spain's captain Rodri proudly showcased the World Cup trophy to fans at the Estadio Ramón Sánchez-Pizjuán, a moment made special by being handed the trophy by Jesús Navas, a key figure in Spain's 2010 triumph.

Yamal expressed his excitement, stating, "We were very excited to bring the cup here. To be able to win the game and bring it home is great."

In other action from Group B1, Slovenia secured a 2-0 victory over North Macedonia, with goals from Sandi Lovric and Aljosa Matko.