Ahead of their 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifier on Sunday, Manchester City midfielder, Rodrigo has warned Spanish teammates about dangerous Turkey while manager Luis de la Fuente expects the fans to be loud and tense, Softfootball reports.
The Group E encounter promises to be a very intriguing encounter as both countries have won their opening matches and will be hoping to consolidate on the remaining matches to pick the World Cup ticket. Spain will be particularly happy with the 3-0 win over Bulgaria.
Speaking to the Spanish official X handle, Rodrigo is confident about his team’s chances but wary about the threat posed by the Turkish team. He said:
Turkey is not a team defined by big individual stars, but by being a very compact unit. I see them as a very dangerous opponent at home, and they will force us to show our very best.
For Spain manager Luis de la Fuente he expects an intense encounter and loud support from the Turkish fan to back their team all the way. He added:
We’re expecting the kind of atmosphere this game deserves. The Turkish fans always back their team hard, so it’ll be loud, tense, and special.
But this squad is built for nights like that.
Interestingly, La Roja have won their last three games against Turkey, with their most recent clash coming at Euro 2016, when former Chelsea striker Alvaro Morata scored a brace in a 3-0 victory in the group stage of the tournament.
Spain won Euro 2024 after a hard fought victory over the Three Lions of England in the final and lifted the World Cup in 2010 but their last three appearances at the Mundial have been disappointing.
In 2014, Spain were knocked out in the group stage of the World Cup and only made the round of 16 in 2018 and 2022. After their recent success and emergence of the likes of Pedri, Gavi and Yamine Lamal Spain are expected to qualify for the World Cup without any hassles.
