FIFA World Cup 2022: World champions Spain beat Costa Rica 7-0

The game was already decided after 31 minutes when Dani Olmo, Marco Asensio, and Ferran Torres scored from the penalty spot, which Costa Rica could not live with.

Ferran Torres scored his second before Gavi - who became Spain's youngest-ever goalscorer in June - and substitutes Carlos Soler and Alvaro Morato completed the victory.

With this victory, Spain surpassed its most significant success at World Cup, a 6-1 win over Bulgaria in France 24 years ago.

Since winning the trophy in 2010, the Spanish national team have struggled at World Cups - they were eliminated in the group stage in 2014 and the round of 16 four years later.

But the nature of this victory will fuel expectations that Spain can go far in this competition and challenge for the top prize again.

Costa Rica were the last team to qualify for the World Cup, defeating New Zealand in an intercontinental playoff in June.

But the Central Americans were overmatched and failed to score a single goal.

Group E had earlier been left wide open by Japan's surprise 2-1 win over Germany.

But Spain were determined not to be the sufferers of a similar defeat, and Dani Olmo and Asensio missed clear chances before the game was decided after 11 minutes.

Pedri had set up the last two chances, but this time it was Gavi, the other Barcelona teenager in Spain's cultured midfield, who provided the decisive assist.

Dani Olmo played a clever one-two with Gavi, and after a slight deflection off Francisco Calvo, he beat Keylor Navas with a beautiful flick.

The lead doubled after 21 minutes when Costa Rica was again easily dismantled.

Sergio Busquets found Jordi Alba in the penalty area, and his cross was headed in by Asensio from 14 yards, although Navas could have done more with a shot he held on to with both hands.

Costa Rica conceded another goal when Oscar Duarte caught Jordi Alba on his heel, and Torres safely converted the penalty.

At this point, Spain had 87 per cent possession and controlled the game completely.

Asensio could have scored a hat-trick after the break, but Torres added to his tally in 54 minutes when he took advantage of a mix-up in the Costa Rican defence and scored from close range.

Once the result was decided, and both teams made several substitutions, the game lost its intensity and resembled more of an exhibition match than a World Cup.

But Spain scored their sixth goal in 75 minutes when Alejandro Balde finished off an attack with a cross from Morata that Gavi, the man of the match, converted with a brilliant volley with the outside of his foot.

Things got even dicier for Costa Rica in stoppage time when Navas failed to convert a cross from Nico Williams, and Carlos Soler slid the ball into the empty net.

Dani Olmo set up Morata two minutes later, his left-footed shot sending Spain into seventh heaven ahead of Sunday's match against Germany.