Georgia Faces Bulgaria in Crucial World Cup 2026 Qualifier in Tbilisi
Tbilisi, Georgia – The Georgian national football team will host Bulgaria today in a pivotal match for qualification to the 2026 World Cup. The game, set to be played in Tbilisi, is crucial for both teams’ ambitions within the qualifying group, with Bulgaria aiming for a top-two finish.
georgia secured its place in the final stage of the 2024 World Cup through a triumphant UEFA Nations League campaign, highlighted by a meaningful 5-2 victory over Bulgaria in 2022. This win marked a turning point for Georgian football. Historically,the two nations have met eight times,with Bulgaria winning four matches,Georgia winning twice,and two ending in draws.Georgia’s largest victory against Bulgaria was a 2-1 win in 1995 during the 1996 World Cup qualifiers, with goals from Shota Arveladze and George Kinkladze.
Bulgaria has reached the final stage of the World Championships seven times, achieving a best result of fourth place in 1994.However, the nation hasn’t participated in a major tournament since Euro 2004.
Bulgaria will be without key player Kirill Despodov, who also missed the match against spain and is expected to remain sidelined for the Tbilisi game.
The match will be officiated by Swedish referee Glenn Nyberg, assisted by Mahbod Beig and Daniel Jung. Adam Ladebek will serve as the fourth official. Due to the lack of a video assistant referee (VAR) system in the Swedish championship, VAR duties will be handled by Dutch specialists Van Van Boker and Erwin Blank.
Notably, Bulgarian player Georgi Sanyol received a red card during the match against Turkey but maintains he does not understand the reasoning behind the dismissal.