Spain v Bulgaria – Line-ups, stats and preview

Match Preview

Spain will aim to continue their flawless start to the 2026 World Cup qualifying campaign when they host Bulgaria at the Estadio Jose Zorrilla in Valladolid on Tuesday night.

La Roja top Group E with nine points from three matches, while Bulgaria remain bottom of the standings without a single point at the halfway stage of qualifying.

Luis de la Fuente’s side have shown an impressive response since losing to Portugal on penalties in June’s Nations League final.

Spain opened qualifying with a 3-0 win away to Bulgaria, followed by a 6-0 thrashing of Turkey, and most recently a 2-0 success over Georgia on Saturday.

Goals from Yeremy Pino and Mikel Oyarzabal secured their latest victory, marking the fourth time in history that Spain have scored twice or more in 10 straight matches.

Sitting three points ahead of Turkey, they are in a strong position to secure a 13th consecutive World Cup appearance.

Bulgaria, on the other hand, are enduring a torrid campaign. After two 3-0 defeats to Spain and Georgia, Ilian Iliev was dismissed and replaced by Aleksandar Dimitrov, whose first game ended in a 6-1 home loss to Turkey.

With eight games now without a win and seven straight fixtures conceding at least twice, the visitors face a daunting challenge in Valladolid.

Team news for Spain v Bulgaria

Spain remain without Dean Huijsen, Rodri, Dani Olmo, and Lamine Yamal, who all withdrew with injuries prior to the Georgia match.

Alex Baena and Pablo Barrios offer fresh options, but De la Fuente could stick with the same starting XI that delivered a confident win on Saturday.

Mikel Oyarzabal is expected to lead the line again, having scored six goals in his last eight international appearances.

For Bulgaria, defender Emil Tsenov is unavailable, with Kristian Dimitrov likely to partner Rosen Bozhinov in central defence. Ivan Turitsov could start at right-back, while captain Kiril Despodov should once again spearhead the attack.

Expected line-ups for Spain v Bulgaria

Spain: Simon; Porro, Le Normand, Cubarsi, Cucurella; Merino, Zubimendi, Pedri; Torres, Pino, Oyarzabal

Bulgaria: Mitov; Turitsov, Dimitrov, Bozhinov, Petrov; Chochev, Stoyanov, Kraev; Petkov, Kirilov, Despodov

The stats for Spain v Bulgaria

• Spain have scored 11 goals without reply in their first three qualifiers
• La Roja have won five of the last six meetings between the two nations
• Bulgaria have conceded at least two goals in seven consecutive matches
• Spain have scored two or more goals in 10 successive internationals
• Bulgaria are winless in their last eight games in all competitions

How to watch Spain v Bulgaria: TV channel, online stream

Fans in Spain can follow the action live on national broadcasters such as RTVE or Movistar+, with both television and online streaming coverage expected.

In the United Kingdom, Amazon Prime hold the rights to European qualifiers, while supporters in the United States and Canada can watch through major sports networks and streaming platforms, including ESPN or Paramount+.

The match will kick-off at 19:45pm BST.

Prediction

Spain have been relentless throughout qualifying and should once again dominate against a Bulgaria side short on confidence.

Expect a comfortable home win as La Roja continue their march toward the 2026 World Cup.