PARIS: Spain are only two matches into their FIFA World Cup qualifying campaign, but Luis de la Fuente’s side already look like one of the clear favorites for next summer’s finals.
The reigning European champions took a major step toward qualification after winning what were arguably their two toughest fixtures — away to Bulgaria and Turkey.
Even more impressive has been the manner of those victories. Spain hit three past Bulgaria before routing Turkey 6-0 in the traditionally hostile atmosphere of Konya on Sunday as midfielder Mikel Merino scored a hat-trick and Pedri added a brace.
“I’m proud of these players, of this national team, of how we are representing the country,” Spain coach de la Fuente, who has built a team that appears complete across the pitch, said. “This team keeps growing and growing, and I’m the first one to be surprised.”
Barcelona playmaker Pedri opened the scoring inside six minutes and later completed the scoring, with Ferran Torres netting the visitors’ other goal.
The quality of Merino’s strikes was remarkable, with his first coming at the end of a superb team move and his second a controlled finish from a Pedri assist. He completed his triple with a curling shot into the top corner.
The one blemish on the night’s work for Spain was the withdrawal of Nico Williams due to an apparent thigh injury, but de la Fuente’s team are already clear at the top of qualifying Group ‘E’ with six points from two games.
“I’m very happy for winning, to pick up six points, for doing it in this way, and for scoring three goals, which is not normal — the first hat-trick of my career,” said Merino.
The group winners will qualify directly for the finals, with the runners-up progressing to a play-off phase.
Georgia and Turkey come next on three points each, with the former beating Bulgaria 3-0 in Tbilisi thanks to goals by captain Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, Nika Gagnidze and Georges Mikautadze.
Spain will host Georgia next month.
Germany picked up their first win in Group ‘A’, thanks to second-half goals by Nadiem Amiri and Florian Wirtz in a 3-1 home win over Northern Ireland.
“We actually started the game quite well and took a deserved lead. Conceding the equaliser unsettled us a bit, the mood was down. In the last 30 minutes you could see our true face again, before that it was pretty shaky,” coach Julian Nagelsmann said.
Germany were under pressure after losing their opening qualifier 2-0 in Slovakia on Thursday, and it took them until the final quarter of their home meeting with Northern Ireland in Cologne before they could secure the victory.
Serge Gnabry gave the hosts an early lead only for Isaac Price of West Bromwich Albion to equalise before half-time.
The home fans were unhappy with Nagelsmann’s team, but they eventually retook the lead on 69 minutes when substitute Amiri turned in David Raum’s cross.
Liverpool star Wirtz, playing in his home city, then took centre stage by converting a free-kick in style to seal Germany’s win.
“We knew it was a catastrophe [in the] last game and we wanted to do things better,” Wirtz told Germany’s RTL network. “It was a good performance [which] we can definitely build on.”
They and Northern Ireland both have three points, while Slovakia lead the way on six points after Tomas Rigo’s late goal clinched a 1-0 victory in Luxembourg.
DEPAY MAKES DUTCH HISTORY
Memphis Depay became the Netherlands’ all-time top goalscorer with a brace in their 3-2 win in Lithuania in Group ‘G’.
Depay, who now plays in Brazil for Corinthians, scored his 51st and 52nd international goals to move clear of Robin van Persie, with whom he had been tied in first place on half a century of strikes for the Oranje.
The 31-year-old turned in Cody Gakpo’s cutback for the opener before Quinten Timber netted the second goal for the Netherlands in Kaunas.
They appeared to be on easy street, but Torino midfielder Gvidas Gineitis pulled one back and Edvinas Girdvainis headed in the equaliser before the break for the team ranked 143rd in the world.
Depay, though, rescued the Netherlands by heading in a Denzel Dumfries cross just after the hour mark.
Ronald Koeman’s side have 10 points after four matches and are ahead of Poland on goal difference with a game in hand but their performance came in for heavy criticism.
“We were sloppy in possession, failed to win the duels and didn’t take the second ball either,” said captain Virgil van Dijk after the narrow win.
“Three points is the most important, but if you want to progress, this sort of thing cannot happen.
“It was only a good evening for Memphis. But if you are 2-0 ahead and then you give away two easy goals, you make things incredibly difficult for yourself.”
Poland won 3-1 at home to Finland in Chorzow with Matty Cash, captain Robert Lewandowski and Jakub Kaminski netting before Benjamin Kaellman pulled one back for Finland, who are three points behind the leading duo in third.
Belgium recorded a second 6-0 win in as many matches in Group ‘J’ as they swept aside Kazakhstan at Anderlecht’s stadium in Brussels.
Kevin De Bruyne scored twice and is now his country’s second-top goal-scorer of all time behind Romelu Lukaku.
Jeremy Doku of Manchester City also bagged a brace, with Nicolas Raskin and Thomas Meunier netting the other goals.
Belgium have 10 points from four matches, one point less than North Macedonia, who routed Liechtenstein 5-0 in Skopje and remain undefeated in the group after five games — three wins and two draws.
North Macedonia’s opener came after Eljif Elmas brilliantly overcame five different challenges ahead of an own-goal by Liechtenstein goalkeeper Benjamin Buchel.
Published in Dawn, September 9th, 2025