Spain kick off 2026 with comfortable friendly win over Serbia

Spain 3-0 Serbia

Spain commenced their 2026 campaign with a commanding performance, cruising to a 3-0 victory over Serbia at La Ceramica as part of their ongoing preparations for the upcoming World Cup.

The scoring was opened in the 16th minute by Real Sociedad’s Mikel Oyarzabal. The 28-year-old forward, who has consistently displayed outstanding form on the international stage over the past year, powerfully struck the ball past Serbian goalkeeper Vanja Milinkovic-Savic after receiving a precise pass from Fermin Lopez.

This was a brilliantly executed goal by La Roja, with former Villarreal playmaker Alex Baena playing a pivotal role. His superb dummy on his old home ground created the necessary space for Oyarzabal to fire in the opening goal.

Just before halftime, Spain extended their lead to 2-0, with Oyarzabal claiming his second goal of the evening. Another Barcelona player, Pau Cubarsi, provided the assist, delivering an excellent ball into the path of his La Roja teammate, who then expertly turned and unleashed an unstoppable shot from just outside the penalty area.

Following this, Spain's head coach Luis de la Fuente made several tactical substitutions. Pedri and Fermin were replaced at the halftime interval, while Lamine Yamal and Oyarzabal were taken off on the hour mark. Among the substitutes, Victor Munoz made a memorable debut by netting the third goal of the night. The build-up began with Rodri Hernandez, who fed Dani Olmo. Olmo then slipped the ball to Ferran Torres, whose clever backheel allowed the Osasuna winger to comfortably slot home from inside the penalty area.

Spain Starts 2026 with a Statement of Intent

Spain will undoubtedly be pleased with their initial performance of 2026. They will be eager to maintain this strong form in their upcoming friendly match against Egypt, which is scheduled to take place next week at Espanyol’s RCDE Stadium.