Iraq held European champions Spain to a 1-1 draw in a friendly on Thursday, with the result coming against a Spanish squad missing several first-choice players due to fitness concerns.
Coach Luis de la Fuente left out Amine Yamal, Nico Williams, David Raya, Victor Muñoz, Marc Cucurella, Pedri, Fabian Ruiz, Martin Zubimendi, Rodri, and Mikel Oyarzabal, forcing significant changes to his usual starting lineup.
Spain took the lead in the 16th minute when Ferran Torres drove forward from midfield into the penalty area and finished. Iraq levelled in the 27th through Mirkhaz Duski, who struck a fine left-footed effort from a tight angle on the left edge of the box. The ball sailed over Barcelona goalkeeper Joan Garcia, who was slightly off his line, and into the net. Torres hit the crossbar in the 40th minute, but Spain struggled to carve out clear chances against Iraq’s disciplined backline, which denied them the rhythm that delivered the Euro 2024 title in Germany.
Iraq, appearing at the World Cup for only the second time, are placed in Group 9 alongside France, Senegal, and Norway. Spain will compete in Group 8 with Cape Verde, Saudi Arabia, and Uruguay.
