By Spain kick off their 2026 World Cup qualifying campaign on Thursday evening with a trip to Sofia, where they will face Bulgaria. Luis de la Fuente’s side will be keen to make a strong start, as they seek to book their place at next summer’s tournament without any issues.
Bulgaria head coach Ilian Iliev issued a warning to La Roja ahead of the match, and de la Fuente will know that his side need to be on their game to pick up the three points at the Vasil Levski National Stadium.
In terms of Spain’s line-up, Sport say that Robin Le Normand will be chosen to play alongside Dean Huijsen in the centre of defence, while the returning pair of Rodri and Dani Carvajal will not be risked from the start, Martin Zubimendi and Pedro Porro are set to be included in the XI instead.
In attack, de la Fuente is expected to start Ferran Torres as the number nine, following his good start to the season with Barcelona. Alvaro Morata and Mikel Oyarzabal would be on the bench, with the familiar duo of Lamine Yamal and Nico Williams starting as La Roja’s wing options.
Predicted XIs for the 2026 World Cup qualifier between Bulgaria and Spain
Spain Must not Underestimate Bulgaria
Spain will be overwhelming favourites to take the three points back home, even with the match being played in Sofia. Bulgaria have struggled for some time in international football, and during the Euro 2024 qualifying stage, they finished bottom of their group without a single victory in eight matches.
Despite this, de la Fuente and his side will be under no illusions about the challenge they face. As one of the best teams in international football at the moment, they would be a scalp for anyone – and that will be motivation for nations like Bulgaria.
