Gavi made his global debut with a brilliant volley as Spain produced a sparkling passing performance to outclass Costa Rica and start their World Cup in spectacular fashion.
Ferran Torres scored twice as the 2010 champions cruised from start to finish.
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Gavi’s outstanding volleyed finish was the pick of their seven goals, with the Barcelona teenager using the outside of his foot to steer a dropping ball home via the post and become the youngest World Cup goalscorer since Pele.
This has been a tournament full of surprises, with Spain’s Group E rivals Germany the most recent victims after a late defeat by Japan earlier on Wednesday, but there was never any indication that another shock would occur here.
Spain dominated from the start, with Costa Rica unable to match their pace, movement, and precision when they advanced.
The Euro 2020 semi-finalists came within a whisker of taking the lead twice in the first ten minutes, with Dani Olmo and Marco Asensio both firing wide, but they did not have to wait long.
When Olmo met Gavi’s delicate chipped pass into the area, he used his strength to hold off Oscar Duarte before swooping into space to expertly slot past the onrushing Keylor Navas.
Costa Rica got off to a shaky start, and things quickly got worse for the 2014 quarterfinalists, who were the last team to qualify for Qatar.
Spain advanced up the middle of the pitch unopposed once more, before the ball was spread left to Jordi Alba, whose driven cross was met powerfully by Asensio – though Navas’ attempted save should have been far better.
Torres sent Navas the wrong way from the spot just after the half-hour mark, after Duarte had hacked at Alba in the box.
After the break, however, Costa Rica faced even more misery, with Spain still hungry for goals.
Torres made it 4-0 after taking advantage of more sloppy defending, collecting a loose ball after burst into the box and calmly firing home.
Spain advanced up the middle of the pitch unopposed once more, before the ball was spread left to Jordi Alba, whose driven cross was met powerfully by Asensio – though Navas’ attempted save should have been far better.
Torres sent Navas the wrong way from the spot just after the half-hour mark, after Duarte had hacked at Alba in the box.
After the break, however, Costa Rica faced even more misery, with Spain still hungry for goals.
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Torres made it 4-0 after taking advantage of more sloppy defending, collecting a loose ball after burst into the box and calmly firing home.
Gavi’s superb strike capped an already dazzling performance, with the 18-year-old finding a finish to match his impressive performance after meeting a cross from substitute Alvaro Morata.
After Navas failed to deal with a cross, another substitute, Carlos Soler, made it six, and Morata rounded out the scoring in injury time after a one-two with Olmo.
