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Ferran Torres celebrated after scoring in the friendly match between Spain and Iraq.

A Barcelona player’s goal was not enough to secure victory for Spain, as they were held to a draw by Iraq in their pre-World Cup 2026 friendly.

The Spanish national team faced Iraq in a warm-up match ahead of the upcoming tournament.

The intense encounter took place at the Riazor Stadium in La Coruna, Spain, on Friday (5 June 2026) early morning local time.

After a fierce battle, both sides had to settle for a 1-1 draw.

This friendly served as part of the preparation schedule for both teams before heading to the prestigious 2026 World Cup.

In the final tournament, Spain will compete in Group H alongside Cape Verde, Saudi Arabia, and Uruguay.

Meanwhile, Graham Arnold’s side will feature in Group I, where they are set to face tough competition from France, Senegal, and Norway.

Match Summary

Playing at home, Spain immediately took control and pressed from the opening whistle.

After several attacking attempts, La Roja opened the scoring through a quick counterattack in the 16th minute.

Receiving a precise pass from Dani Olmo, Ferran Torres smartly carried the ball into the penalty box.

The Barcelona forward, nicknamed “El Tiburon” or “The Shark,” calmly slotted a low shot past Iraq goalkeeper Ahmed Basil.

Shocked by the early goal, Iraq responded aggressively and found the equalizer in the 27th minute through a spectacular strike from Merchas Doski.

Doski unleashed a rocket shot from the right side of Spain’s penalty area, sending the ball flying into the top-left corner beyond the reach of goalkeeper Joan Garcia.

The score was levelled at 1-1.

Following the equalizer, both sides traded attacks in a high-tempo exchange, but neither could find the breakthrough before halftime, leaving the first half tied 1-1.

In the second half, Spain continued to dominate possession and applied sustained pressure on Iraq’s defence.

Despite their attacking efforts, Luis de la Fuente’s men struggled to convert opportunities into goals.

Iraq, on the other hand, opted for a more patient approach, focusing on counterattacks, but their strategy also failed to produce results.

As a result, the match ended 1-1 at full time.

Full-Time: Spain 1–1 Iraq (Torres 16'; Doski 27')

Spain Starting XI (4-2-3-1): 13-Garcia (1-Roman 73'); 12-Porro (2-Pubill 59'), 16-Martin (20-Rodriguez 74'), 14-Laporte (17-Gomes 46'), 3-Grimaldo (4-Garcia 46'); 9-Gavi (19-Moreno 59'), 18-Bernal (21-Turrientes 59'); 7-Torres (8-Garcia 46'), 10-Olmo (11-Pino 46'), 15-Baena (6-Merino 68'); 26-Iglesias (26-Caraballo 46')

Head Coach: De la Fuente

Iraq Starting XI (4-2-3-1): 22-Basil (12-Hasan 46'); 23-Doski (15-Hajjaj 61'), 5-Hashem (2-Sulaka 61'), 4-Tahseen (6-Younis 61'), 3-Ali; 16-Al-Ammari (19-Yakob 61'), 24-Zaid Ismael (14-Iqbal 61'); 21-Farji (11-Qasem 61'), 17-Jasim, 8-Bayesh (7-Amyn 73'); 9-Al-Hamadi (18-Hussein 46')

Head Coach: Arnold