Spain beats Georgia to edge closer to World Cup

The Spanish national team took another step towards qualifying for the 2026 World Cup with a 2-0 victory over Georgia in the third round of Group E of the European qualifiers for the 2026 World Cup. Meanwhile, Al Hilal Saudi Arabia star Ruben Neves led Portugal closer to securing their place with a late 1-0 victory over Ireland in a match in which captain Cristiano Ronaldo missed a penalty kick in Group F.

 

In the first match, "La Roja" owed its victory to goals from strikers Jeremy Pinault (24) and Mikel Oyarzabal (64).

 

Coach Luis de la Fuente's team moved to nine points, three ahead of second-placed Turkey, who defeated Bulgaria 6-1 to finish last in the group. Georgia remained third with three points.

 

The European champions were missing several of their stars, most notably young star Lamine Jamal, who withdrew from the squad due to a recurrence of his injury. They also included Real Madrid defender Dani Carvajal, Athletic Bilbao winger Nico Williams, captain and Como striker Alvaro Morata, and Paris Saint-Germain midfielder Fabian Ruiz.

 

However, Spain's lineup remained full of strong names. De la Fuente fielded Pino, Ferran Torres, and Oyarzabal up front, followed by Mikel Merino, who scored a remarkable hat-trick in the previous window against Turkey (6-0).

 

 

In the second match, Portugal moved closer to qualification with a dramatic 1-0 victory over Ireland.

 

Portugal dominated most of the first half, amidst a clear defensive slump from their opponents, but they lacked the final touch.

 

The Portuguese had a golden opportunity to take the lead after the referee awarded a penalty kick for O'Shea's handling of the ball inside the penalty area, but goalkeeper Caoimhin Kelleher saved Ronaldo's shot (75).

 

Neves gave his team the three points in stoppage time after heading home a cross from Trincao (90+1).