Spain Defeat Peru 3-1 in Puebla in Final Friendly Before World Cup 2026

Goals from Mikel Oyarzabal, Pedri, and a structural error from goalkeeper Pedro Gallese secured an efficient victory for the European champions in front of 45,000 fans.

Photo: AFP

The Spain national football team concluded its World Cup preparation itinerary with technical authority, registering a clinical 3-1 victory over Peru. The international warm-up match, contested at the historic Estadio Cuauhtémoc in Puebla, Mexico, drew an impressive capacity crowd of over 45,000 spectators. The competitive fixture served as the definitive structural laboratory for head coach Luis de la Fuente to finalize tactical mechanisms, evaluating his depth chart via maximum personnel rotation exactly one week prior to their tournament opener.

The opening sequence of the match caught the South American defensive block completely unaligned. In the 2nd minute, Spain executed a fluid transitional sequence that allowed forward Mikel Oyarzabal to isolate himself on the edge of the area. The Real Sociedad attacker unleashed a precise, powerful left-footed strike that bypassed goalkeeper Pedro Gallese to open the scoring at 1-0. The goal extended Oyarzabal's remarkable international run to six consecutive matches with the senior squad, marking his 25th career goal for his country. Spain established absolute positional weight in midfield under the direction of Pedri, who produced a flawless opening half by completing 34 of 34 total passes. 

The Barcelona playmaker extended the advantage to 2-0 in the 32nd minute, surging from the secondary line to clinically convert an accurate low cross from Ferran Torres. Peru generated isolated offensive threats via long-range efforts, but goalkeeper Unai Simón preserved the clean sheet heading into the intermission.

Luis de la Fuente reshaped his tactical layout for the second half, completing a quad-substitution block that introduced Eric García, Dani Olmo, David Raya, and Yéremy Pino into operations. The tactical shift yielded immediate rewards. In the 53rd minute, midfielder Rodri intercepted a defensive clearing attempt near the final third, feeding Pino on the right wing; the winger delivered a sharp, low cross into the six-yard box where Gallese suffered a technical miscalculation, inadvertently deflecting the ball into his own net for an own goal to make it 3-0.

Holding a comfortable margin, Spain finalized an entire eleven-man rotation, introducing Gavi, Martín Zubimendi, Mikel Merino, Marc Pubill, Pedro Porro, Alejandro Grimaldo, and Borja Iglesias to regulate physical fatigue. Peru answered with a statistical consolation in the 66th minute when a brief structural breakdown in Spain’s central defense allowed Jairo Vélez to collect a low pass unmarked, curling a fine effort into the top corner past David Raya to establish the final 3-1 scoreline. Following this positive result, which overwrites a previous 1-1 draw against Iraq, the Spanish delegation will return to their training headquarters in Chattanooga, Tennessee, to finalize preparations before initiating Group H play against Cape Verde on Monday, June 15.