Spain sealed its place at the 2026 World Cup tonight despite drawing 2-2 against Turkey at Seville’s La Cartuja stadium. The match, corresponding to the final matchday of Group E of the UEFA qualifiers, left a bittersweet taste, as although La Roja achieved their objective it was at the cost of suffering against the Turks, who even took the lead on the scoreboard.
The truth is that from the very first moments of the match the Spanish team showed their dominance: only a few minutes into the game when Dani Olmo opened the scoring with an accurate shot inside the six-yard box, against an opponent who had only just started to get into their stride on the pitch.
Turkey, who was always behind in possession throughout the game, still managed to equalise in the 42nd minute through Deniz Gül after a corner had caught the Spanish defence off guard. Thus, the Milli Takım scored the first goal conceded by Spain in this qualifying campaign.
Turkish comeback in the second half
The second half therefore started with more pressure on Spain, who was more hesitant in its actions, especially after the Turks managed to come back and take the lead when Salih Özcan scored a goal in the 54th minute with a right-footed shot from outside the box, that was unstoppable for Unai Simón.
Türkiye, who normally flanks in defence, was on the other hand in this match in a tight defensive position which took the freshness out of Spain’s play – after the initial minutes of confusion following Dani Olmo’s goal. Even so, the Spanish team did not give up, and just 8 minutes after the Turkish comeback, Mikel Oyarzábal scored the equaliser by finishing off the post a ball previously rejected by the Turkish goalkeeper, Altay Bayındır.
The match revealed certain shortcomings in the defence of Luis de la Fuente‘s side, which suffered at times due to Turkish pressure: moments that the Turks took advantage of to score. Turkey also proved with this result that, despite Spain being the clear favourite, it is always a team to be reckoned with… And to be feared.
The result in Seville, despite not being what was expected after the 6-0 thrashing of Turkey in September playing in the Turkish city of Konya, allows Spain to conclude the phase with a balance of 6 matches, 5 wins and a draw, and without a single defeat, thus securing first place in Group E with 16 points in total, and direct passage to the next World Cup. Turkey, on the other hand, although it had to settle for a draw, finishes in 2nd place in the group with 13 points and still has a chance of reaching the World Cup by playing in the play-offs.
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Edited and reviewed by:
Pablo Gómez is a specialist in Turkey and has been editor-in-chief of Hispanatolia since 2011. He has been analysing current affairs and geopolitics in Turkey and the surrounding region since 2006.
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