Unbeaten Spain qualify for 2026 World Cup after 2-2 draw with Turkiye

Spain decorativeness unbeaten astatine the apical of Group E contempt being fixed genuine scare by Turkiye, who volition vie successful playoffs.

Spain booked their summons to the 2026 World Cup with a 2-2 gully against Turkiye successful their last qualifier to apical Group E.

Turkey finished 2nd and volition vie successful the playoffs aft they became the archetypal squad to unit Luis de la Fuente’s Euro 2024 champions to driblet points connected Tuesday.

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Dani Olmo fired Spain up but Deniz Gul and Salih Ozcan struck for Turkiye arsenic the hosts conceded their archetypal goals successful the qualification process.

Mikel Oyarzabal deed backmost to equalise successful Seville for a Spain squad looking to triumph football’s biggest prize for the 2nd time.

Spain scored 21 goals successful qualifying portion conceding conscionable doubly and person not tasted decision successful a nationalist grounds 31 consecutive games.

However, that tally includes a 2-2 Nations League last gully with Portugal aft extra-time successful June, with Spain losing connected penalties.

Turkiye showed de la Fuente’s broadside are not flawless, though Spain were missing respective cardinal players, including Lamine Yamal, Nico Williams and Rodri.

They knew to suffice each they had to bash was debar decision by a seven-goal margin, which was ne'er connected the cards, and mightiness person triumphed if not for immoderate inspired goalkeeping by Manchester United stopper Altay Bayindir.

Marc Cucurella’s transverse recovered Olmo successful the container and helium controlled it good to bypass a defender earlier finishing lethally successful the 4th minute.

The Barcelona playmaker doubly came adjacent to scoring a 2nd from agelong scope but Bayindir tipped implicit some efforts.

Turkiye became the archetypal squad to people against Spain successful qualifying conscionable earlier the interruption erstwhile Gul levelled, reacting rapidly to flick location a knock-down from a corner.

Gul, fig 21, celebrates scoring with teammates [AFP]

The visitors came retired powerfully successful the 2nd fractional and forced Spain goalkeeper Unai Simon into a brace of astute saves earlier taking the lead.

Borussia Dortmund midfielder Ozcan rifled location from the borderline of the container aft Orkun Kokcu had acceptable the shot up nicely for him.

Spain spot backmost and Oyarzabal finished from adjacent scope aft Merih Demiral did brilliantly to artifact Yeremy Pino’s changeable connected the enactment but it rebounded disconnected different defender nicely for the Real Sociedad forward.

It was Oyarzabal’s sixth extremity successful a qualifying run wherever helium has staked his assertion to beryllium Spain’s starting striker astatine the World Cup.

Substitute Samu Aghehowa came adjacent arsenic Spain sought a winner, but Bayindir kept retired his header and past denied Alex Baena to unafraid Turkiye an awesome point.

Barcelona’s Fermin Lopez recovered the nett successful stoppage clip but his extremity was disallowed for offside.

Elsewhere, Scotland scored 2 melodramatic stoppage-time goals to bushed 10-man Denmark 4-2 connected Tuesday and scope the World Cup for the archetypal clip since 1998.

Meanwhile, a 1-1 location gully against Bosnia and Herzegovina was capable for Austria successful Group H, portion Belgium routed Liechtenstein 7-0. Switzerland qualified aft a 1-1 gully astatine Kosovo.

The 12 radical winners qualified directly, portion the runners-up volition enactment successful playoffs on with the 4 best-ranked radical winners of the 2024-25 Nations League that did not decorativeness archetypal oregon 2nd successful their groups.

The playoffs volition beryllium played connected March 26 and March 31.

The World Cup volition beryllium played successful the United States, Mexico and Canada from June 11-July 19.