Bulgaria Falls 3-0 to Spain in World Cup Qualifying Opener
SOFIA, Bulgaria – Bulgaria suffered a 3-0 defeat against spain Thursday in their opening match of teh 2026 World Cup qualifying campaign.The Group E contest, played before a crowd of 40,000 at the Vasil Levski National Stadium, saw Spain take control early and maintain dominance throughout.
Mikel Oyarsabal opened the scoring for Spain in the 5th minute, followed by a goal from Marc Cucurella in the 30th minute. Michel Merino extended the lead to 3-0 in the 37th minute, effectively sealing the victory for the visitors.
Despite the scoreline,Bulgaria had moments of promise. Radoslav Kirilov struck the crossbar in the 19th minute with a shot from the left,representing the Lions’ best chance of the match.
Spain’s attack proved relentless, with Svetoslav Vutsov, Bulgaria’s goalkeeper, making several key saves throughout the game, including denying Oyarsabal in the 12th minute and a close-range effort from Lamin Yamal early in the second half. Merino also tested Vutsov with a powerful shot in the 53rd minute that hit the crossbar.
Bulgaria attempted to mount a response in the second half, organizing a promising attack in the 78th minute that saw Marin Petkov’s shot saved by Spain’s goalkeeper. However, the attack was immediately followed by an offside call, and Petkov’s subsequent attempt at a play was also flagged. Several other Bulgarian attacks were also halted by offside calls throughout the match.
The defeat leaves Bulgaria facing a challenging road ahead in their qualifying group. They will next travel to Georgia on Sunday, while Spain will visit Turkey.
