In a pre-tournament friendly held in Puebla, Mexico on Monday, Spain’s national men’s football team wrapped up its 2025 FIFA World Cup preparations with a convincing 3-1 win against Peru, overcoming the absence of three key first-team players ruled out by injury.
The match got off to a blistering start for La Roja, with winger Mikel Oyarzabal finding the back of the net inside the opening two minutes to put Spain ahead early. Midfielder Pedri doubled the team’s advantage in the 32nd minute, extending Spain’s lead going into halftime. The home side’s advantage grew further in the 53rd minute, when Peru captain and goalkeeper Pedro Gallese inadvertently turned the ball into his own net, pushing Spain’s lead to an unassailable 3-0.
Peru, which failed to qualify for the upcoming World Cup finals, got a late consolation goal from forward Jairo Vélez in the 66th minute, which put the final score at 3-1.
The three injured Spanish stars – Barcelona teenage sensation Lamine Yamal, Athletic Bilbao winger Nico Williams and defender Víctor Muñoz – did not travel to Mexico for the friendly, instead remaining at the team’s training camp in Tennessee to continue their recovery work. Yamal, who is widely regarded as one of the most exciting young talents in global football, has not featured in a competitive match since April 22, when he suffered a left hamstring strain that has sidelined him for months.
Spanish head coach Luis de la Fuente offered an encouraging update on the trio’s fitness ahead of the tournament, confirming that all three players could be fit enough to feature in Spain’s opening Group C match against Cape Verde, scheduled for June 15 in Atlanta. After their opening fixture, Spain will continue their group stage campaign with a match against Saudi Arabia on June 21, also in Atlanta, before rounding out group play against Uruguay on June 26 in Guadalajara, Mexico.