Spain will host Bulgaria at the Estadio José Zorrilla in Valladolid on Tuesday, October 14, 2025, as Luis de la Fuente’s men look to keep their perfect World Cup qualifying run intact. Fresh from a composed 2–0 win over Georgia, Spain remain unbeaten in 18 straight games and have taken maximum points from their first three qualifiers—scoring 11 goals and keeping every clean sheet along the way.
Their record at home is just ridiculous: unbeaten in World Cup qualifying since 1993, that’s 73 games without defeat (59 wins, 14 draws). The numbers speak for themselves, and honestly, very few would bet against Spain extending that streak.
On the flip side, Bulgaria are having a pretty torrid time. They’ve lost all three games so far, conceding 12 goals and barely looking competitive. Their 6–1 defeat to Turkey last week was the first outing under new manager Aleksandar Dimitrov—and it didn’t exactly scream new era. They’ve now lost four straight away qualifiers, letting in 14 goals across those fixtures, and have never beaten Spain in six previous meetings (five losses, one draw).
Confidence looks drained in the Bulgarian camp, and even with a full squad available, few expect anything other than a repeat of the 3–0 loss they suffered to Spain in Sofia back in September.
Team News
Spain will be without Dani Olmo, Lamine Yamal, and Rodri—all ruled out through injury. Meanwhile, Softfootball also reported that Ferran Torres recently joined the list of injured stars. In their absence, Mikel Oyarzabal is expected to spearhead the attack, supported by Yeremy Pino and Llorente. Meanwhile, Bulgaria will miss Fabian Nürnberger, who picked up a fresh knock before the international break.
Possible Lineups
Spain (4-3-3): Simon; Porro, Le Normand, Cubarsi, Cucurella; Merino, Zubimendi, Pedri; Llorente, Pino, Oyarzabal
Bulgaria (4-2-3-1): Mitov; Turitsov, Dimitrov, Bozhinov, Petrov; Chochev, Stoyanov, Kraev; Petkov, Kirilov, Despodov
Key Stats
Spain have scored two or more goals in each of their last ten matches and found the net in both halves in eight of those. Bulgaria, by contrast, have lost four straight games by a combined 16–1 scoreline and haven’t won any of their last four matches after taking the lead (two draws, two losses).
Ahead of the encounter, Spain posted a highlight video via their official X account of the team in action and how greatly they have connected with the fans.
Watch the video below:
Oyarzabal remains Spain’s man in form, involved in nine goals (five goals, four assists) in his last six international appearances—the best spell of his national career. For Bulgaria, captain Kiril Despodov remains their biggest spark, having been involved in four of his last six international goals away from home.
Softfootball’s Prediction
Everything points to another dominant Spanish performance. With form, stats, and home advantage all in their favor, expect La Roja to cruise through comfortably.
Prediction: Spain 5–0 Bulgaria.
