Spain Cruise Past Bulgaria 3-0 in World Cup Qualifier Opener

Spain began their journey to the World Cup 2026 with a convincing 3-0 win against Bulgaria in Sofia, where they scored all three goals in the first half, through Mikel Oyarzabal, Marc Cucurella, and Mikel Merino. Spain's coach, Luis de la Fuente, was pleased to welcome back Rodri and Dani Carvajal to the squad after a long spell injured. Even with the easy win, he emphasized that the team could improve, particularly in the second half against Bulgaria. Spain's next opponents are Turkiye. 

Turkiye had a win as well, narrowly seeing off a spirited Georgia performance 3-2. Turkiye led for most of the match before going down to ten men and allowing Georgia back into the game with two late goals. Despite the scare at the end, Turkiye took three points. 

Germany had a tough day - they lost 2-0 away to Slovakia, marking the first loss for Germany in a World Cup qualifier away from home. Coach Julian Nagelsmann, expressed disappointment in his team's energy and emotion - they will need to find their form quickly as this marks three consecutive losses for Germany.

These early matches show that Spain is in good form, Turkiye is fighting hard, and Germany has work to do before the 2026 World Cup in the U.S., Canada, and Mexico.