Victory in the Final World Cup Warm-Up

"Puebla: Land of Champions, the Final Test." Such was the slogan accompanying Spain’s last fixture before their World Cup opener. The Estadio Cuauhtémoc was dressed for the occasion as it welcomed the Spanish national team back to Puebla, four decades after their only previous visit to the city. The excitement among the local population and the affection shown towards the team had been evident from the moment Spain arrived on Mexican soil.

Many supporters were still making their way to their seats when Spain struck the first blow. In just the second minute, Pau Cubarsí threaded a perfectly weighted pass through the lines for Mikel Oyarzabal, who once again proved clinical in the final third. The forward controlled, turned and unleashed a powerful finish beyond Pedro Gallese to give Spain an early lead and spark celebrations around the stadium.

Every positive move, incisive pass, attack or recovery from the Spanish side was met with appreciative reactions from a crowd eager to enjoy the national team’s return to Puebla after 40 years. In the 20th minute, a flowing move involving Marc Cucurella, Pedri and Oyarzabal ended with a volley from the Basque forward that flew narrowly over the crossbar. Moments later, Gruber cleared another Oyarzabal effort off the line to deny him a second goal.

Just after the half-hour mark, Rodrigo found Ferran Torres in space down the right. The winger drove to the byline and delivered a dangerous cross that Pedri, arriving perfectly from midfield, converted to make it 0–2. Ferran, who had provided the assist, came close to adding a third shortly afterwards, his effort flashing just wide of the post.

Before the break, Peru created several promising opportunities through Ugarriza, Vidales and Pretell, but none were able to find a way past Unai Simón. Spain therefore went into half-time with a comfortable two-goal advantage.

The second half began with Spain firmly in control. Ferran threatened once more early on, but it was Yeremy Pino who found the net. His dangerous cross-shot caused confusion in the Peruvian penalty area, and Gallese was unable to react in time as the ball found its way into the goal.

Peru reduced the deficit through Jairo Vélez, who finished off an excellent pass from Marcos López, but Spain continued to dominate proceedings.

As Luis de la Fuente had emphasised in his pre-match press conference, this fixture represented a crucial final rehearsal ahead of the World Cup. In front of nearly 50,000 spectators at a packed Estadio Cuauhtémoc, Spain continued to push forward in search of further goals. Dani Olmo, Ferran Torres, Álex Baena and Alejandro Grimaldo all produced some of the most dangerous moments of the second half.

The national team conclude their World Cup preparations with another victory. The 2026 FIFA World Cup gets underway on 11 June in Mexico City, while Spain’s campaign begins on Monday 15 June in Atlanta against Cape Verde. Saudi Arabia and Uruguay will complete Spain’s group-stage schedule.