Spain secured their place at the upcoming World Cup by maintaining their unbeaten streak with a 2-2 draw against Turkiye. Before the match in Seville, Spain was almost certain to top Group E, while Turkiye needed a significant goal difference swing to challenge for the top spot. Dani Olmo's early goal gave Spain an ideal start, but they couldn't extend their lead further.
Despite Spain's dominance, Turkiye equalised in the 42nd minute through Deniz Gul, who took advantage of poor defending during a set-piece. The second half saw Salih Ozcan put Turkiye ahead with a stunning shot into the bottom-left corner. However, Mikel Oyarzabal quickly levelled the score just six minutes later, ensuring Spain remained unbeaten.
Spain had chances to secure
victory but couldn't capitalise. Samu Aghehowa missed a header from close range, and Fermin Lopez had a late goal disallowed. Despite these setbacks, Spain comfortably confirmed their qualification for the tournament in the United States, Canada, and Mexico.
Oyarzabal's Impact and Record-Breaking Run
Mikel Oyarzabal played a crucial role throughout the qualifiers with ten goal involvements. Only Erling Haaland and Memphis Depay surpassed him among European players. Since his debut in November 2019, only Ferran Torres and Alvaro Morata have scored more goals for Spain than Dani Olmo.
Spain's current unbeaten run stands at 31 competitive matches. This equals Italy's record for teams that have won the World Cup. Under Luis de la Fuente's leadership, Spain has achieved 20 wins and six draws in these games.
