Madrid, June 5: The FIFA World Cup 2026 warm-up matches delivered several thrilling results. Iraq managed to hold Spain to a 1-1 draw, while Sweden and Greece ended their match in a 2-2 tie. In a surprising turn, Ivory Coast defeated France 2-1.
In La Coruña, Iraq showcased a strong defense, significantly troubling the Spanish team. Spain made several changes, giving opportunities to new players. Coach Luis de la Fuente included Barcelona midfielder Marc Bernal and Real Sociedad defender Jon Martín in the starting lineup.
Several key players were absent from the Spanish squad, including Nico Williams, Lamine Yamal, and Víctor Muñoz. Additionally, Pedri, Mikel Oyarzabal, and Marc Cucurella were rested. Spain started the match strongly, with Ferran Torres scoring a brilliant goal in the 16th minute, converting a pass from Borja Iglesias with a precise left-footed shot. Spain maintained control of the ball and launched continuous attacks.
However, in the 27th minute, Iraq responded. Marchas Doski scored with a stunning curling shot, leveling the score at 1-1. Following this, Iraq adopted a robust defensive strategy, successfully thwarting Spain’s attacks. In the second half, Spain made several substitutions to test new players, but they failed to score. Despite having nearly 72% ball possession, Spain could not penetrate Iraq’s defense, and the match ended in a 1-1 draw.
Meanwhile, in Stockholm, the second warm-up match between Sweden and Greece also ended in a 2-2 draw. Both teams displayed aggressive play. Greece’s Kostas Simikas opened the scoring in the 10th minute. Sweden’s Arsenal striker Viktor Gyökeres equalized with a deflected free-kick.
Gustaf Nilsson scored Sweden’s second goal in the 69th minute. As the match neared its conclusion, Sweden seemed close to victory, but in injury time, Georgios Masouras scored to equalize for Greece, ending the match at 2-2. In another match, Ivory Coast pulled off a major upset by defeating France 2-1.
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