Mikel Oyarzabal shone brightly as Spain cruised to a 4-0 victory over Georgia, maintaining their perfect record in the 2026 World Cup qualifying campaign. Meanwhile, Belgium's quest to secure their spot in the tournament hit a snag with a 1-1 draw against Kazakhstan.
Spain's dominant performance in Tbilisi saw them take another step closer to World Cup qualification. The reigning European champions have been in scintillating form throughout the qualifiers, and their match against Georgia was no exception. Oyarzabal led the charge, scoring twice and providing an assist in a commanding display. The Real Sociedad striker opened the scoring with a penalty in the 11th minute and later headed in the fourth goal in the 63rd minute.
Martín Zubimendi and Ferran Torres also found the net, adding to Georgia's woes as Spain established a 3-0 lead by halftime. Spain's defense remained impenetrable, securing another clean sheet, thanks in part to Marcos Llorente's goal-line clearance. La Roja have now scored 19 goals and conceded none in their five qualifying matches.
Spain now stands at the top of Group E with 15 points, three points ahead of Turkey. A win against Turkey in their final qualifier on Tuesday will guarantee their place in the 2026 World Cup. Even a narrow defeat might be enough to see them through, given their superior goal difference of +14 over Turkey. Turkey kept their hopes alive by defeating Bulgaria 2-0.
In contrast to Spain's comfortable progress, Belgium faced unexpected resistance in Kazakhstan. The match ended in a 1-1 draw, delaying Belgium's qualification for the World Cup. Kazakhstan took an early lead through 17-year-old Dastan Satpayev in the 9th minute. Hans Vanaken equalized for Belgium in the 48th minute, heading in a cross from Timothy Castagne. Despite playing with an extra man after Islam Chesnokov's red card in the 79th minute, Belgium failed to capitalize and secure the win.
Belgium still leads Group J with two points more than North Macedonia. The draw in Astana, Kazakhstan guaranteed Belgium will finish in the top two in their group. They can secure their qualification with a win against Liechtenstein on Tuesday.
Reflecting on the disappointing draw, Belgian winger Jeremy Doku expressed his dissatisfaction with the team's performance throughout the qualifying campaign. He emphasized the need for improvement and a more effective approach to secure their place in the World Cup. Doku stated that the team "weren't good enough". He also dismissed the absence of key players like Thibaut Courtois, Kevin De Bruyne, and Romelu Lukaku as an excuse, stressing the need to win such games regardless of who is on the field.
