Spain’s second FIFA World Cup qualifier of October sees them take on Bulgaria in Valladolid on Tuesday night, having maintained their 100% start to qualifying at the weekend.
The European champions are currently without an array of big names through injury, yet they barely had to exit first gear to beat Georgia 2–0 on Saturday. A poor Bulgaria side are up next, with Spain’s upcoming opponents succumbing to a thumping 6–1 defeat at home to Türkiye last time out.
That rout means Spain will likely have to wait until next month to confirm their place at next summer’s tournament, but Luis de la Fuente’s side are in an excellent position in Group E, given that they hammered Türkiye 6–0 in September.
Bulgaria are yet to win in 2025, and parted ways with manager Ilian Iliev last month. Now led by Aleksandr Dimitrov, Tuesday’s visitors will surely be content with merely avoiding a drubbing in Valladolid.
Here is Sports Illustrated’s guide to the clash.
What Time Does Spain vs. Bulgaria Kick-Off?
- Location: Valladolid, Spain
- Stadium: Estadio Municipal José Zorrilla
- Date: Tuesday, Oct. 14
- Kick-off Time: 2.45 p.m. ET / 11.45 a.m. PT / 7.45 p.m. BST
- Referee: Daniel Siebert (GER)
- VAR: Pascal Müller (GER)
Spain vs. Bulgaria Head-to-Head Record (Last Five Games)
- Spain: 4 wins
- Bulgaria: 0 wins
- Draws: 1
- Last meeting: Bulgaria 0–3 Spain (September 4, 2025) - World Cup qualifier
Current Form (All Competitions)
How to Watch Spain vs. Bulgaria on TV and Live Stream
Spain Team News
Spain have been hit hard by injuries in October, with Lamine Yamal, Rodri, Nico Williams and Gavi among those to miss out. Dean Huijsen was forced to withdraw before the 2–0 win over Georgia, and De la Fuente has since lost Barcelona’s Ferran Torres, who missed a penalty at the weekend.
Torres played 90 minutes last time out, and will likely be replaced in Spain’s frontline by Álex Baena. Yéremy Pino could shuffle over to the right-hand side, with Mikel Oyarzabal functioning as the No. 9. Porto’s Samu Aghehowa is another option.
There could be a reshuffle in midfield to offer Pedri some respite, with Pablo Barrios and Aleix Garcia among the potential options to start alongside Martín Zubimendi. Mikel Merino is a favourite of the manager’s and could keep his place.
With Huijsen out, Robin Le Normand partnered Pau Cubarsí on Saturday at the heart of Spain’s defence, and that will likely be the case here.
Spain Predicted Lineup vs. Bulgaria
Spain predicted lineup vs. Bulgaria (4-3-3): Simón; Porro, Le Normand, Cubarsí, Cucurella; Merino, Zubimendi, García; Pino, Oyarzabal, Baena.
Bulgaria Team News
Dimitrov’s squad is desperately shy of talent, and he’ll have to lean on any ounce of stubborness and resilience to try and keep Europe’s best at bay on Tuesday night. He doesn’t have a Hristo Stoichkov or Dimitar Berbatov-like figure to call upon.
There are no injury updates from Saturday’s heavy defeat, but they did lose defender Emil Tsenov before the fateful clash with Türkiye.
A reshuffle in defence could see Ivan Turitsov and Kristian Dimitrov start.
Bulgaria Predicted Lineup vs. Spain
Bulgaria predicted lineup vs. Spain (4-3-3): Mitov; Turitsov, Dimitrov, Bozhinov, Petrov; Chochev, Stoyanov, Kraev; Petkov, Kirilov, Despodov.
Spain vs. Bulgaria Score Prediction
The peak of the mid-90s must seem light-years away from Bulgaria right now. They’re nothing short of a mess.
Spain may be ravaged by injuries, but there’s simply far too much synergy and talent within their squad for them to encounter any issues on Tuesday night. This will be a case of how many for the hosts, even if Bulgaria will be determined not to succumb to another mauling this month.
Prediction: Spain 4–0 Bulgaria
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Spain vs. Bulgaria—2026 World Cup Qualifier: Preview, Predictions and Lineups.
