Spain will look to continue their perfect start to World Cup qualifying when they face Bulgaria in Valladolid on Tuesday.
Luis de la Fuente's side have shown complete control in the qualifiers and are sitting atop Group E after winning three games from three and scoring 11 goals without conceding once.
Real Sociedad captain Mikel Oyarzabal has been key to Spain's attack and comes into this match full of confidence after scoring a stunning free-kick against Georgia, while Yeremy Pino's strong form shows the depth of this team even with several important players missing through injury.
For Bulgaria, the challenge is enormous after three straight defeats and 12 goals conceded in qualifying. Aleksandar Dimitrov's side have lacked structure and belief and have struggled to contain quicker and more technical opponents.
The visitors will rely on captain Kiril Despodov's pace and creativity, hoping to find rare moments on the counterattack, but confidence remains low after their heavy defeat to Turkey.
Spain vs. Bulgaria lineups: Predicted starting XI, team news, rosters
Spain will come into this clash against Bulgaria with several key players absent.
Lamine Yamal, Rodri, Dani Olmo and Dean Huijsen all withdrew from the squad prior to the Georgia game due to injury concerns. Nico Williams was left out as he recovers from a hamstring problem, while Barcelona star Gavi will be out until early 2026 with knee damage.
Despite such absences, Spain have displayed real quality and depth especially in midfield and attack, as seen in their 2-0 win over Georgia. That means De La Fuente is likely to stick with largely the same XI that started that match.
There will be one enforced change, though. On Monday, Barcelona forward Ferran Torres left the national-team camp due to muscle fatigue, so Jorge de Frutos or Jesus Rodriguez could come in.
Arsenal duo Martin Zubimendi and Mikel Merino could start in central midfield along with Pedri. Oyarzabal and Pino are set to keep their places in the front three, while the back four of Marc Cucurella, Pau Cubarsi, Robin Le Normand and Pedro Porro remains intact.
Spain predicted lineup (4-3-3, right to left): Simon (GK) — Porro, Le Normand, Cubarsi, Cucurella — Merino, Zubimendi, Pedri — De Frutos, Oyarzabal, Pino
Spain full roster
Goalkeepers: David Raya, Alex Remiro, Unai Simon
Defenders: Aymeric Laporte, Pau Cubarsi, Dani Vivian, Robin Le Normand, Marc Cucurella, Alejandro Grimaldo, Pedro Porro
Midfielders: Martin Zubimendi, Pedri, Mikel Merino, Aleix Garcia, Fermin Lopez, Marcos Llorente, Pablo Barrios, Alex Baena
Forwards: Jesus Rodriguez, Jorge de Frutos, Mikel Oyarzabal, Borja Iglesias, Samu Aghehowa
Bulgaria will look for a stronger defensive display when they meet Spain with head coach Dimitrov likely to make changes after the 6-1 defeat to Turkey.
Some will be enforced. Lukas Petkov and Ivan Turitsov left the camp due to injury concerns following the Turkey game, with Under-21 defender Martin Georgiev called up as a replacement for the latter.
Svetoslav Vutsov is expected to start in goal after Dimitar Mitov's struggles while Vladimir Nikolov should lead the line again as he searches for his first international goal.
Kiril Despodov could drop deeper to offer more support in transition. The backline is set to stay compact, with Rosen Bozhinov and Petko Hristov expected to anchor the defence.
Emil Tsenov withdrew prior to the October games with an injury scare.
Bulgaria predicted lineup (5-4-1, right to left): Vutsov (GK) — Popov, Hristov, Bozhinov, Chernev, Petrov — M. Petkov, Stoyanov, Kraev, Kirilov — Nikolov
Bulgaria full roster
Goalkeepers: Dimitar Mitov, Svetoslav Vutsov, Dimitar Sheytanov
Defenders: Petko Hristov, Atanas Chernev, Rosen Bozhinov, Christian Petrov, Viktor Popov, Dimitar Velkovski, Martin Georgiev
Midfielders: Andrian Kraev, Ilia Gruev, Stanislav Shopov, Filip Krastev, Marin Petkov, Ivaylo Chochev, Kristian Stoyanov
Forwards: Kiril Despodov, Zdravko Dimitrov, Vladimir Nikolov, Martin Minchev, Radoslav Kirilov.
Spain vs. Bulgaria match details
- Date: Tuesday, October 14 2025
- Kickoff time: 8:45 p.m. local / 2:45 p.m. ET / 11:45 a.m. PT / 12:15 a.m. IST / 5:45 a.m. AEDT (Oct. 15)
- Location: Jose Zorrilla, Valladolid (Spain)
- Competition: UEFA World Cup Qualifiers
- Referee: Willy Delajod (France)