Spain beat Georgia 4-0, close to 2026 World Cup ticket

Spain crushed Georgia 4-0 in the 2026 World Cup qualifiers early this morning, with a double from Oyarzabal (11' penalty, 63') and goals from Zubimendi (22') and Ferran Torres (35'). The victory brought La Roja closer to the ticket: they only need to draw with Türkiye in the final round to officially secure a place at the 2026 World Cup. Georgia's dream officially ended.

Development: VAR unlocked, La Roja imposed early

In the 7th minute, Ferran Torres warned the Georgian goal with a shot that was blocked by a defender. Shortly after, VAR determined that the ball hit Gocholeishvili's hand in the box, resulting in a penalty that Oyarzabal coolly converted in the 11th minute.

The game quickly became one-sided. In the 18th minute, Baena's shot hit the post. The constant pressure was realized in the 22nd minute: Fabian Ruiz made a delicate pass for Zubimendi to break through and finish skillfully, raising the score to 2-0.

La Roja did not slow down. Oyarzabal moved wide and crossed for Ferran Torres to tap in from close range, increasing the score to 3-0 in the 35th minute. At the end of the first half, in the second minute of injury time, Pedro Porro put Oyarzabal in a position to shoot but goalkeeper Mamardashvili made an excellent save.

Second half: the decisive header and the saves

Georgia fought back after the break. In the 60th minute, Mekvabishvili shot powerfully from distance but Unai Simon saved it. Just three minutes later, Spain punished: in the 63rd minute, Ferran Torres crossed to the far post for Oyarzabal to jump high and head home, completing his double and making it 4-0.

Coach Luis de la Fuente made a substitution to keep the tempo going, but La Roja remained in control. In the 75th minute, Barrios and Borja Iglesias combined to put Iglesias one-on-one, but Mamardashvili brilliantly denied him. Georgia responded shortly after with Kvaratskhelia firing in from the left, but Simon remained in control.

The final minutes witnessed a series of missed opportunities: Llorente almost scored an own goal when the ball hit the post; in the 88th minute, Baena volleyed and forced Mamardashvili to push it away, while Iglesias's rebound shot went over the bar in a favorable position.

Tactical analysis: flexible number 9 and wing play

Spain pushed the team high and controlled the tempo completely. Oyarzabal took on the number 9 role flexibly: both as a destination in the box (penalty 11', header 63'), and also dropped wide to be a connecting station to open up opportunities for teammates (the cross that led to Ferran Torres' goal). The wings were fully exploited: Ferran Torres attacked with depth and quality of crosses, Pedro Porro supported the overlap to create a dangerous finishing situation at the end of the first half.

In the middle, Fabian Ruiz provided the direct, through-ball passes that opened the door for Zubimendi’s goal. When Georgia attempted long-range or wide shots, La Roja’s defensive structure remained compact enough to keep Unai Simon from having to work too hard.

Regional impact

With 3 full points, Spain has a big advantage when it is 3 points more than Türkiye and only needs 1 more draw in the last round to ensure participation in the 2026 World Cup. Georgia, meanwhile, officially has no chance.

Notable statistics

• Score: Georgia 0-4 Spain
• Scored: Oyarzabal 11' (pen), 63'; Zubimendi 22'; Ferran Torres 35'
• VAR: Gocholeishvili's handball situation leads to penalty for Spain
• Vertical post: Baena (18'); Llorente almost scored an own goal when the ball hit the post
• Goalkeeper: Mamardashvili made several important saves; Unai Simon blocked shots from Mekvabishvili and Kvaratskhelia

Final score: Georgia 0-4 Spain.