Chasing a second star: Spain begin their journey to the 2026 World Cup | OneFootball

The current European champion, Spain, begins its journey in the 2026 World Cup Qualifiers this Thursday against Bulgaria, dreaming of winning its second world title.

Group E is completed by Turkey — Sunday’s opponent — and Georgia. As the favorite, Spain knows that in a short group with only four teams, any slip-up could be costly.

Return after disappointment

This qualifying phase marks the return of La Roja after their penalty shootout loss to Portugal in the final of the UEFA Nations League in June.

Coach Luis de la Fuente, champion of the Nations League in 2023 and Euro 2024, is keeping the core of the squad and betting on the group’s solidity.

Carvajal and Rodri are back

After more than a year out due to serious knee injuries, Real Madrid captain Dani Carvajal and Manchester City’s Ballon d’Or winner, Rodri, are back with the national team.

Last-minute absences

In the initial list, three players were left out due to injury: Gavi (Barcelona), Fabián Ruiz (PSG), and Yeremy Pino (Crystal Palace).

To replace them, Aleix García (Bayer Leverkusen) and Jorge de Frutos (Rayo Vallecano) were called up.

Another challenge will be the defense: Spain has conceded at least two goals in its last five matches and hasn’t kept a clean sheet since October 2024, in the 3-0 win over Serbia.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇧🇷 here.