“Ferran Torres opens the scoring to give Spain the lead, rewarding their early territorial dominance with a composed finish.”
Pivotal“Merchas Doski levels for Iraq against the run of play, cancelling out Spain's lead and stunning a side who had dominated the opening exchanges.”
Pivotal“Marc Bernal is booked for a foul, adding disciplinary concern for Spain just minutes after conceding the equaliser.”
“A wave of seven substitutions across both teams at half-time completely reshapes the match, disrupting Spain's attempts to regain control.”
“Spain's continued pushing for a winner in the final quarter comes to nothing as Iraq's goalkeeper stands firm, preserving an unlikely draw.”
Spain
Iraq
Outstanding performance
Spain•MidfielderSpain dominated this World Cup warm-up friendly from the outset, controlling 66% of possession and generating 13 shots to Iraq's three, but were unable to convert their considerable territorial advantage into a winning margin. Ferran Torres broke the deadlock in the 16th minute, finishing calmly to give Luis de la Fuente's side a deserved lead. Iraq, however, hit back against the run of play through Merchas Doski in the 27th minute, a sucker-punch that Spain simply could not recover from. A mass of substitutions at half-time — seven in total across both sides — disrupted any rhythm Spain had built, and despite Iraq's goalkeeper being called into action three times to keep his side level, La Roja's finishing proved wasteful, squandering two big chances they created. For Iraq, the draw represents a creditable result against a side ranked among Europe's elite, while Spain will take little confidence from failing to beat a significantly lower-ranked opponent just weeks before a major tournament.
How entertaining was this match?
Spain host Iraq in a friendly at Estadio Abanca-Riazor on June 4, 2026, with La Roja looking to fine-tune their squad ahead of the 2026 World Cup. The headline storyline is how Spain cope without the injured Lamine Yamal, giving fringe attackers a chance to stake their claim in a match where the hosts are heavy favourites.
