Spain Crushes Turkey: A Football Recital in the 2026 World Cup Qualifiers
While the world’s top national teams grappled with setbacks during the September international break, Spain demonstrated their supremacy by defeating Turkey with a resounding 6-0 victory in the qualification for the 2026 FIFA World Cup. The match was a true football spectacle, reaffirming that, at its best, the Spanish national team is an exciting, devastating, and irresistible team.
If you missed this match, which featured figures like Arda Güler from Real Madrid, Hakan Çalhanoglu from Inter Milan, and Kerem Aktürkoglu from Fenerbahce, believe me, it wasn’t just a lopsided victory against an opponent that hadn’t conceded six goals at home in 41 years; it was sublime and collective football.
The Turkish goalkeeper, Ugurcan Çakır, was their best player, which says a lot. Spain, despite playing without six of the eleven starters who won the European Championship last summer, demonstrated their quality. The second goal of La Roja was the result of 75 seconds of possession, 25 passes and 66 touches of the ball, involving every player on the team led by Luis De La Fuente.
Meanwhile, Germany suffered a defeat against Slovakia, and England drew 2-0 against Andorra, ranked 174th. The Netherlands achieved a narrow victory against Lithuania and Croatia, with Luka Modric, won by the minimum against the Faroe Islands.
Italy, after dismissing its coach, Luciano Spalletti, after a 3-0 defeat against Norway, defeated Estonia 5-0, just as Portugal did against Armenia with Cristiano Ronaldo at the helm.
Argentina defeated Venezuela 3-0, but Lionel Messi surprised everyone by announcing that “the most logical thing is that he won’t make it” to the next World Cup. Brazil also won 3-0 against Chile, with a new foreign coaching staff and a dispute with Neymar.
Japan stood out as the first country to qualify for next year’s World Cup in March, with a 0-0 draw against Mexico.
Now, returning to Spain.Spain’s 6-0 victory against Turkey was an exquisite recital of sublime football that makes the current European champions look like the World Cup winners in waiting.
The summary is that they could have easily won 10-0. They danced on the Konya field, played with brutal intensity and never slowed down. Pedri, with football worthy of the Ballon d’Or, and Lamine Yamal, were not far behind.
The 2-0 goal was something special, possibly historic. The play culminated with a pass from Mikel Merino, after an uninterrupted possession by Spain of more than a minute, with ten players involved, finished by Mikel Oyarzabal.
Merino has accumulated six goals and two converted penalties in six matches with Spain, becoming a secret weapon for La Roja.
Pedri and Lamine Yamal are possibly the most interesting players. Yamal, in a short time, will become the youngest footballer to obtain a place on the Ballon d’Or podium. His time with the national team has revitalized him. Rodri acknowledged that he told Lamine “keep working and you can achieve whatever you want”.
“We have seen very talented footballers who then ‘get lost’. Lamine really sees things clearly and has people around him who give him good advice. What I see is a happy boy, smiling and if he develops this enormous talent he has, it will be for the benefit of Spain”.
Rodri
Under a new light, mixing with winners, the catalyst effect on this young genius has been remarkable. Three assists, probably the game-changing performance in the 3-0 victory against Bulgaria, and brilliantly against Turkey, not to mention the fight with Arda that foreshadows the ‘Morbo’ for the next Clásico.
And then there’s Pedri. UEFA posted on social media that “Pedri makes excellence look so easy.” De La Fuente added: “Pedri is the best in the world in his position,” and it’s true.
Now, with three goals in his last four matches with Spain, and at only 22 years old, Pedri is meeting expectations, scoring important goals and staying in shape.
Spain is two matches away from equaling its historical streak of 29 official matches without losing. Despite Williams’ injury, these have been stellar days for Spain. They play the most delightful football in the world and are in the best position to make the World Cup an attractive prospect next summer.
