Spain crushes Bulgaria 3-0 in the 2026 World Cup qualifiers: A fiery start for the Matador
Spain vs Bulgaria: A hat-trick confirms Spanish dominance
The Spanish national team opened its campaign in the 2026 World Cup qualifiers with a convincing victory over host Bulgaria with a clean sheet of three goals (3-0), in the match held at the Vasil Levski stadium in the capital Sofia.
The Spanish performance was offensively excellent, as they sealed the match in the first half with three goals that ended Bulgarian hopes early.
Goals of the Spain vs Bulgaria match 2025
Minute 5: Mikel Oyarzabal scores the first goal after a wonderful pass from Zubimendi.
Minute 30: Marc Cucurella doubles the score with his first international goal with a powerful touch inside the penalty area.
Minute 38: Mikel Merino concludes the hat-trick with a precise header following a corner executed by the rising talent Lamine Yamal.
With this performance, the Spanish national team proved that its offensive strength is capable of deciding matches early.
Spain dominates the match proceedings
Possession percentage: 78% for Spain compared to 22% for Bulgaria.
Number of shots: 24 shots for Spain compared to only 3 for Bulgaria.
A strong return for midfield stars like Rodri and Dani Carvajal after injury, which strengthened the squad's power.
These numbers confirm that Bulgaria had no real chance to keep up with the fast Spanish pace.
Spain's group standings in the World Cup qualifiers
After this victory, the Spanish national team topped Group E with 3 points, ahead of Turkey, which won 1-0 in its opening match.
Group E standings:
| Team | Matches | Wins | Draws | Losses | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spain | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3 |
| Turkey | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3 |
| Georgia | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Bulgaria | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
Spain is now a strong candidate to secure direct qualification for the World Cup.
Head-to-head record between Spain and Bulgaria
History stands by the Matador:
7 official matches between the two teams.
5 victories for Spain, one draw, and no wins for Bulgaria.
The most notable being the big win 6-1 in the 1998 World Cup, and now a new hat-trick in 2025.
What’s next after Spain's victory over Bulgaria?
Spain's next match against Turkey will be a real test to confirm their lead.
The recent performance proves that the new generation led by Lamine Yamal and Mikel Oyarzabal is capable of restoring Spanish glory.
Bulgaria, for its part, needs to review its defensive and offensive tactics if it wants to compete for the second place that qualifies for the playoffs.
Conclusion
A 3-0 victory for Spain over Bulgaria in the opening of the 2026 World Cup qualifiers is not just three points, but a strong message that the Matador is determined to make a strong return to the top of world football.
The integrated performance, diversity of goals, and absolute control make the Spanish national team one of the top candidates for early qualification.
