World Cup qualifiers: Spain wins 3-0, Rodri and Carvajal comeback to help the team get off to a perfect start

Spain won a big victory, and Rodri and Carvajal returned from injury to help the team get off to a perfect start

In the early morning of September 5, the Spanish national team ushered in a fantastic start in the 2026 World Cup qualifiers, defeating Bulgaria 3-0 away, achieving a good start.

At the Vasil Levski Stadium in Sofia, the 2024 European Cup champion Spain has firmly controlled the situation from the beginning of the game, and in the first half, he secured the victory early with goals from Oyasabal (5th minute), Kukurelia (30th minute) and Merino (38th minute).

coach Louis de La Fuente also received two good news: Rodri and Carvajal both made their debut and officially announced their return from injury. The two had previously had a quit for 7 months and 9 months due to serious knee injuries.

This is the first time Spain has played against Bulgaria again in a formal match after more than 20 years. The last encounter can be traced back to the 1998 World Cup. In the 5th minute of the game, midfielder Zubimendi, who played for Arsenal, sent a wonderful pass, assisting his teammate Oyasabal in Real Sociedad to score a goal, making a fantastic start for Spain. Bulgaria once saw hope, and Kirillov's shot hit the post and bounced out, but Chelsea left-back Kukurelia quickly followed up and decisively scored, expanding the score to 2-0. The suspense of the

game ended completely before the halftime break. Genius Rising Star Ramin Yamal took a precise corner kick, Merino jumped high and headed the ball, and Spain led 3-0 and completely dominated the game.

In the second half, Merino's header hit the crossbar again, and although Yamal did not score, it was always a nightmare for the opponent's defense. At the end of the game, Delafuent also gave the winger Jesus Rodriguez from the Como Club to the national team's first chance. He replaced Yamal to end the perfect night for Spain.

After this game, Spain led Group E with a 3-pointer and goal difference. In another game in the same group, Türkiye narrowly defeated Georgia 3-2, and also scored 3 points, but temporarily ranked second in the group due to a goal difference disadvantage.

The Spanish team demonstrated strong overall strength and deep lineup thickness, and the healthy return of Rodri and Carvajal has added important weight to the team's 2026 US, Canada and Mexico World Cup.