Álvaro Morata joins the greats

Álvaro Morata is Spain’s fifth all-time top scorer. Spain have played two World Cup games and Morata has scored two goals. In both of them, the Spanish striker has started as a substitute and his introduction has paid off.

On Sunday night against Germany, he came on to open the scoring with a pure striker’s goal, flicking it past Manuel Neuer after some lovely movement. It was Morata’s 29th goal with the Spanish national team.

With two goals in the first two games, his name is already among the top five in the history of the national team, equalling Fernando Hierro, who netted 29 times in 89 games for Spain. Morata, 30, has 29 goals in 59 games for La Roja.

Morata made his Spain debut against Belarus in November 2014 and his first goal for the national team arrived in March 2015 when he found the net against Ukraine in the European qualifiers.

A goalscoring start in the first two games of a World Cup has only ever been achieved by Diego Costa (2018), Fernando Torres (2006), Fernando Hierro (2002), Jon Andoni Goikoetexea (1994), Estanislao Basora and Telmo Zarra (both 1950). Only Zarra scored in the first three games of a World Cup.

GSFN

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