Spain is ready for the World Cup

Cape Verde will come first, and from what we saw, they are no pushovers. But they are no match for Spain either. Then comes Saudi Arabia, which should be little more than a walk in the park. Finally, the toughest challenge of all – Uruguay in Guadalajara, at an altitude of 1,500 meters above sea level. That is precisely why Spain played its warm-up match for the crucial Group H encounter at 2,135 meters above sea level in Puebla. And they proved to themselves that they can perform in mountain conditions by cruising past Peru 3–1. It was total domination by La Roja, who never allowed the Peruvians even a glimmer of hope. The opening goal came after just two minutes, scored by Mikel Oyarzabal, who in Spain has already been nicknamed “the Spanish Mbappe.” Not because of that powerful strike from the edge of the box, but because the 29-year-old Real Sociedad legend truly performs for the national team as if he belongs among the very creme de la creme of world football.

The goal against Peru was already his 25th for Spain, and his 19th since Luis de la Fuente took charge of the national team. It was also the sixth consecutive match in which he both played and found the net. Previously, only David Villa, Pirri, and Fernando Hierro had managed that feat. But Oyarzabal’s numbers become even more impressive when viewed in a broader context. Since March of last year, when he displaced Alvaro Morata as Spain’s starting center-forward, Oyarzabal has either scored or assisted in every one of the 11 matches he has played. To be precise: 12 goals and six assists. Spain may play highly efficient football, but it could just as easily be said that they do so largely because of Oyarzabal.

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Spain’s second goal was scored by Pedri from a pass by Ferran Torres, while the third came as an own goal by goalkeeper Pedro Gallese after a cross from Yeremy Pino. Jairo Velez managed to score a consolation goal for Peru. More important than the result, however, is that De la Fuente did not hide anything, meaning the public already knows the lineup Spain will use against Cape Verde. As the coach confirmed afterward at his press conference, Unai Simon will be the starting goalkeeper. The back four will consist of Marcos Llorente, Pau Cubarsí, Aymeric Laporte, and Marc Cucurella. The midfield will be packed with artists: Rodri, Fabian Ruiz, and Pedri. Up front, as mentioned, will be Oyarzabal.

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The only concern lies on the wings, where Nico Williams and Lamine Yamal are carrying minor injuries and are expected to miss the start of the World Cup. They should, however, be ready for the match against Saudi Arabia on June 21. Against Peru, their places were taken by Alex Baena and Ferran Torres. Not a bad alternative at all. In fact, even if Spain had sent their second team across the Atlantic, we would still be talking about a side capable of targeting at least a place in the quarterfinals.