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Spain-Iraq Friendly Ends 1-1, Three Spaniards Debut

6/5/2026

24 2 Full Breakdown

Summary

Spain Debuts New Players

Spain and Iraq drew 1-1 in a friendly at La Coruna.
Coach Luis de la Fuente rested stars Lamine Yamal, Nico Williams and Pedri.
He gave senior debuts to Marc Bernal, Jon Martin and Gonzalo Turrientes.
Iraq, led by Graham Arnold, matched Spain’s intensity despite a less experienced squad.
Iraq previously beat Andorra 1-0 on May 29 and Bolivia 2-1 in April.

Summary

Doski Equalises

Merchas Doski scored his first senior international goal to equalise for Iraq.
The draw extended Iraq’s unbeaten run under coach Graham Arnold to three matches.
Goalkeeper Ahmed Basil made two key saves, tipping Alex Baena’s shot and denying Dani Olmo.
Spain made eight halftime substitutions, which disrupted its rhythm and left the team unable to break Iraq’s low-block defence despite 72% possession.

History

Historical Context

Spain has a long tradition of staging friendlies in cities such as Seville, which has hosted over 15 internationals. These low-key matches have helped shape squads, a process that contributed to the team that captured the Euro 2008 title, later producing stars like Fernando Torres, and marked the continuation of the 35-match unbeaten streak that began in 2006.

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Spain Debuts New Players

Spain and Iraq drew 1-1 in a friendly at La Coruna.
Coach Luis de la Fuente rested stars Lamine Yamal, Nico Williams and Pedri.
He gave senior debuts to Marc Bernal, Jon Martin and Gonzalo Turrientes.
Iraq, led by Graham Arnold, matched Spain’s intensity despite a less experienced squad.
Iraq previously beat Andorra 1-0 on May 29 and Bolivia 2-1 in April.

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