Spain opened their 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifying campaign with a comfortable 3-0 win over Bulgaria in Sofia, extending their perfect record against the hosts and underlining their status as Group E favourites.
Softfootball reported that Spain’s trip to Bulgaria would be a tough one. The defending European champions made light work of the claim. They struck early through Mikel Oyarzabal, who calmly converted a Martín Zubimendi pass in the fifth minute.
Marc Cucurella doubled the lead on the half-hour mark with a thunderous left-footed strike, his first goal for the national team, before Mikel Merino’s powerful header from a corner made it 3-0 before half-time.
La Roja dominated from the outset, allowing goalkeeper Unai Simón just two touches in the opening 20 minutes. Bulgaria’s best moment came when Radoslav Kirilov clipped the outside of the post, but Ilian Iliev’s switch to a five-man defence quickly unravelled against Spain’s relentless movement.
Spain posted an appreciation image of the players applauding fans that made it all the way to Bulgaria with a thank you caption on its official X account.
They posted on X:
Spain could have added to their tally after the break, with Merino denied a second by the crossbar and Nico Williams missing from close range following an intricate team move. The returns of Dani Carvajal and Rodri Hernández after long injury layoffs added further quality from the bench, reflecting Spain’s depth compared to a Bulgaria side that rarely threatened.
The victory extends Spain’s head-to-head record against Bulgaria to five wins and one draw, with 26 goals scored and just two conceded. It also keeps intact La Roja’s remarkable qualifying record: only one defeat across their last seven World Cup cycles (W52, D14).
For Bulgaria, still chasing their first World Cup finals appearance since 1998, the gulf in class was clear. Spain, meanwhile, look every bit the contender to book their 13th consecutive World Cup spot.
