Bulgaria 0-3 Spain
Spain began their 2026 World Cup qualifying campaign in style, cruising to a 3-0 win over Bulgaria in Sofia on Thursday night. Any defensive doubts lingering around coach Luis de la Fuente’s team in previous matches were largely eased in this one.
The gulf between the teams was evident not just in FIFA rankings but on the pitch. With a combination of short, precise passes and sudden bursts of speed, Spain proved unstoppable, leaving Bulgaria unable to mount any meaningful resistance.
Mikel Oyarzabal opened the scoring after a well-placed pass from Martín Zubimendi found him in the box, slotting the ball home with his left foot. This goal marked Oyarzabal’s fifth international goal in his last six matches.
Spain’s dominance grew steadily, controlling possession and restricting Bulgaria’s attacking opportunities. Captain Oyarzabal had a chance for a second goal around the 12th minute, assisted again by Zubimendi, but he misfired, shooting weakly at the goalkeeper.
Bulgaria’s first notable attack came in the 20th minute, when Radoslav Kirilov broke into the box and struck a powerful shot. It deflected off defender Pedro Porro and went just wide of the far post.
The second goal arrived in the 30th minute. A header from Dimitrov fell to an unmarked Marc Cucurella, who converted the chance into his first goal in 17 appearances for Spain. Eight minutes later, Mikel Merino sealed the win, leaping above everyone to head home Lamine Yamal’s corner.
Bulgaria struggled even further after conceding their second goal, while Spain, the reigning Euro champions, pressed relentlessly in the second half. Merino nearly scored again in the 53rd minute, but Bulgaria goalkeeper Vutov made a brilliant save to deny him.
In the 62nd minute, Rodri and Dani Carvajal were introduced, marking their return to international action after long-term ACL injuries. From then on, Spain dominated play in Bulgaria’s half, though Bulgaria’s defense prevented the scoreline from widening further.
Spain finally kept a clean sheet after conceding in each of their last six matches this year, including the Nations League final against Portugal in June. They scored 17 goals while conceding 14 across those six games.
Spain will next face Turkey on Sunday, while in another group match, Turkey started their qualifiers with a 3-2 win over Georgia.
