Top News

Spain will host Iraq at the Estadio Municipal de Riazor in an international friendly match on Thursday, 4 June 2026, at 23:00 WIB.

Both teams will head to the United States after this match to continue their preparations for the FIFA World Cup 2026 and will play their final warm-up games next week before the main event begins.

La Roja go into this match in excellent form, remaining unbeaten in all competitions since January 2024. They hosted Egypt in a friendly in March, which ended in a goalless draw.

The visitors have won both of their matches in 2026, including a 2-1 victory over Bolivia in the inter-confederation playoff for the World Cup in March, which secured their qualification for the first time since 1986.

They continued that momentum with a 1-0 win over Andorra in a friendly last week.

Head-to-Head: Spain vs Iraq

The two sides have met only once before, during the 2009 FIFA Confederations Cup, where the hosts claimed a 1-0 victory.

• La Roja have kept clean sheets in seven of their last eight matches across all competitions.
• The Lions of Mesopotamia have managed decisive results in their past seven games, winning four of them.
• Interestingly, they have scored at least two goals in three of those victories.
• The hosts have scored at least three goals in five of their last eight matches in all competitions.
• Iraq have recorded four wins against UEFA teams so far, all in friendly matches.
• La Roja last faced an Asian team at the 2022 FIFA World Cup, where they lost 2-1 to Japan in the group stage.
• The hosts have lost only one friendly match since 2016.
• The visitors have failed to score in three of their last four matches played in Spain.

Team News: Spain vs Iraq

Spain and Barcelona winger Lamine Yamal is still recovering from a hamstring issue and is unlikely to feature in Thursday’s friendly.

The same applies to Nico Williams and Mikel Merino, who are both recovering from groin and foot injuries respectively.

David Raya, Martin Zubimendi, and Fabian Ruiz all featured in the UEFA Champions League final last weekend, and coach Luis de la Fuente may choose to rest them, with Unai Simon likely starting in goal instead of Raya.

Atletico Madrid defender Marc Pubill is the only uncapped player in the squad and could make his senior international debut against Iraq.

The 22-year-old may start in central defence alongside Pau Cubarsi, Eric Garcia, or Aymeric Laporte.

Captain Rodri could also start, although he is not expected to play the full 90 minutes. Barcelona’s quartet of Gavi, Pedri, Dani Olmo, and Ferran Torres are all available for selection.

As for Iraq, captain and goalkeeper Jalal Hassan could earn his 101st international cap, protected by a backline of Hussein Ali, Zaid Tahseen, Akam Hashim, and Merchas Doski.

Zidane Iqbal, formerly of Manchester United and now playing for Utrecht, will compete with Amir Al-Ammari, Aimar Sher, and Kevin Yakob for a starting midfield role.

Striker Aymen Hussein, who has scored 33 goals in 93 international appearances, is expected to lead the attack, supported by Ipswich Town forward Ali Al-Hamadi.

Predicted Line-ups: Spain vs Iraq

Spain: Simon; Porro, Pubill, Cubarsi, Cucurella; Gavi, Rodri, Pedri; Pino, Oyarzabal, Torres

Iraq: Hassan; H. Ali, Tahseen, Hashim, Doski; Amyn, Al-Ammari, Sher, Bayesh; Al-Hamadi, Hussein

Score Prediction: Spain vs Iraq

Sportskeeda Version

La Roja have scored 24 goals in their last eight matches while conceding only twice and will look to build on that form.

Interestingly, they remain unbeaten at home since September 2022.

Lamine Yamal has joined the training camp but is expected to be rested due to his hamstring recovery.

Luis de la Fuente is unlikely to risk the young star.

David Raya, Martín Zubimendi, Mikel Merino, and Fabian Ruiz, who played in the UEFA Champions League final, are also expected to be rested.

The Lions of Mesopotamia won their friendly against Andorra, but it was not a particularly convincing performance.

Head coach Graham Arnold is expected to make several changes to his starting eleven from that match.

La Roja clearly have the edge in terms of squad quality, and given their recent form, they are favourites for a comfortable win.

Predicted Score: Spain 3-0 Iraq

Sportsmole Version

Although Spain are unlikely to field their strongest starting lineup, their squad depth should be enough to overcome a team ranked over 50 places below them in the world.

Iraq narrowly defeated European minnows Andorra last month, while La Roja have maintained strong form since 2024.

Considering this, De la Fuente’s side is expected to begin their World Cup preparations on a positive note.

Predicted Score: Spain 3-0 Iraq

TribunLombok Version

Even though players like Lamine Yamal, Nico Williams, and several who featured in the Champions League final may be rested, Spain still boast top-quality options in every position. Names such as Pedri, Gavi, Rodri, Ferran Torres, and Mikel Oyarzabal should be able to dominate proceedings.

Iraq are in good spirits after securing their World Cup ticket, but most of their recent victories have come against teams of lower calibre than Spain.

Spain’s defensive solidity could be the deciding factor. Seven clean sheets in their last eight games highlight their strong organisation, even with rotation.

Iraq are likely to adopt a pragmatic, defence-focused approach to test their readiness for the World Cup. That strategy might help them hold off Spain for a while, but sustaining it for the full 90 minutes will be difficult.

Predicted Score: Spain 2-0 Iraq