Bulgaria boss warns ‘Superior Spain’ over World Cup qualifying start

Spain start their road to potential 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification on the road at Bulgaria on September 4.

La Roja have been placed in a four-team Group E with games split across September, October and November as part of a short format.

On the back of winning the UEFA Euro 2024 title last summer, Luis de la Funte’s side were edged out in the Nations League finals in June by Portugal, and they are now back in action.

A trip to Sofia is followed by an away game against Turkey in Konya on September 7 as part of a tricky start to qualifying for De la Fuente.

His side have trained at the Vasil Levski National Stadium and Bulgaria head coach Ilian Iliev has warned Spain that 40,000 capacity crowd will make lift difficult for their illustrious visitors.

Bulgaria boss warns Spain over Sofia qualifier showdown

“Spain is far superior to us in football terms. We can’t just defend, that’d be a disaster. When we have the ball, we must take advantage of the space Spain create,” as per Diario AS.

“We will have to run a lot, be aggressive and close down the gaps. If we lose the ball against the Spain counter press, it will be very difficult for us. That’s why we have to play very intelligently.

“There have been great teams that have had a tough time at the Vasil Levski. I hope the spirit of the stadium, which has led the team to victory in such important matches can return.”

Spain are unbeaten in five meetings with Bulgaria but they have never faced the Balkan nation on their home turf.

Iconic former Barcelona star Hristo Stoichkov led Bulgaria to 1-1 draw at Euro ’96 followed by a 6-1 loss at the 1998 World Cup with goals from Luis Enrique, Fernando Morientes, Fernando Hierro and Francisco Kiko.