TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The Spanish national team stumbled with their friendly match against Iraq with a 1-1 draw ahead of the 2026 World Cup. Spain hosted the "friendlies" at the Riazor Stadium in La Coruna on Friday, June 5, 2026.
Spain took the lead through Ferran Torres' goal, before Merchas Doski equalized.
Playing in front of their home crowd, Spain immediately took the initiative from the opening minutes, with dominating possession leading to the opening goal in the 16th minute.
Starting from a quick counter-attack, Dani Olmo sent a measured pass to Ferran Torres. The Barcelona striker then dribbled into the penalty box before unleashing a low shot that beat Iraqi goalkeeper Ahmed Basil.
The goal gave La Furia Roja a 1-0 lead and further ramped up their offense.
However, Iraq responded quickly. In the 27th minute, Merchas Doski scored the equalizer with a brilliant individual effort.
The Iraqi left-back unleashed a powerful shot from the right side of the penalty box. The ball sailed into the top left corner of the goal, just beyond the reach of Spanish goalkeeper Joan Garcia. The score was now 1-1.
After the goal, the match became open, with both teams trading attacks. However, no further goals were scored until halftime.
Entering the second half, Spain once again dominated the match. The Matadors continued to press and pin down the Iraqi defense in search of a winning goal.
Luis de la Fuente made several substitutions to increase their attacking prowess. However, Iraq's compact backline prevented Spain from scoring.
Meanwhile, Iraq relied more on waiting and quick counterattacks. Despite several threats, Graham Arnold's team failed to add another goal.
The final whistle blew, with the score at 1-1, and both teams had to settle for a draw.
At the 2026 World Cup, Spain is in Group H alongside Uruguay, Saudi Arabia, and Cape Verde. Iraq will compete in Group I against France, Senegal, and Norway.
Lineup
Spain (4-2-3-1): Joan Garcia (Alex Roman 73'); Pedro Porro (Marc Pubill 59'), Cristian Martin (Mosquera Rodriguez 74'), Aymeric Laporte (Jon Gomez 46'), Alejandro Grimaldo (Hugo Garcia 46'); Gavi (Alberto Moreno 59'), Marc Bernal (Benat Turrientes 59'); Ferran Torres (Aleix Garcia 46'), Dani Olmo (Yeremy Pino 46'), Alex Baena (Mikel Merino 68'); Pablo Iglesias (Caraballo 46').
Iraq (4-2-3-1): Ahmed Basil (Hasan 46'); Merchas Doski (Hajjaj 61'), Hashem (Sulaka 61'), Tahseen (Younis 61'), Ali; Al-Ammari (Jakob 61'), Zaid Ismael (Ali Jasim Iqbal 61'); Farji (Qasem 61'), Jasim, Bayesh (Amyn 73'); Al-Hamadi (Hussein 46').
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