Nobody told Iraq they weren’t supposed to show up.
In what was billed as a routine World Cup warm-up for the reigning European champions, Spain were held to a thoroughly humbling 1–1 draw by Iraq at the Estadio Abanca-Riazor in La Coruña on Thursday night. Yes, you read that right. Iraq. A team Spain were odds-on at -3000 to beat. The Lions of Mesopotamia walked into Spain’s house, soaked up the pressure, and left with a point that had the whole football world doing a double take.
Let’s rewind.
Spain Start Fast — Torres Does What Torres Does
The first 15 minutes looked exactly as you’d expect. Spain were dominating possession — at times hogging close to 78% of the ball — with Gavi pulling strings in midfield and Dani Olmo linking play beautifully in behind the striker. Iraq sat in a deep 4-4-2 block, clearly happy to let La Roja have the ball and hit on the counter.
And then, in the 16th minute, Spain punished exactly that. Iraq committed too many bodies forward, leaving space in behind, and Dani Olmo found Ferran Torres with a brilliant through ball. Torres did the rest — dribbling past two defenders with the kind of cool that makes it look easy — before firing a low shot past goalkeeper Ahmed Basil. Clinical. Efficient. Very Spain.
At this point, everything felt predictable. Spain up, Iraq chasing shadows. Job done, right?
Wrong.
Doski Drops an Absolute Rocket
The 27th minute. That’s when everything changed.
Iraq left-back Merchas Doski picked up the ball on the left edge of the penalty area, glanced up, and — spotting Joan García marginally off his line — unleashed an absolute thunderbolt of a strike that flew into the top corner. The Riazor crowd went silent. The TV commentators went into meltdown. Spain’s players stood around looking confused, as if someone had just paused the simulation.
It was the kind of goal that makes you rewind three times. And honestly? It deserved to go in.
The Second Half? A Whole Lot of Nothing
Spain threw on Eric García, Gonzalo García, Yeremy Pino and Jesús Rodríguez at half-time, desperate to find a winner. It didn’t help. Iraq goalkeeper Ahmed Basil was outstanding all night — making three saves in total — and Spain simply couldn’t carve out the clear chances they needed. The stats told the story: 13 shot attempts for Spain, only 4 on target, with Basil standing firm every time it mattered.
By the final whistle, it was 1–1. A draw. Luis de la Fuente’s side, unbeaten in their last eight games heading into the match, had been frustrated by a team ranked well below them on paper.
What Does This Mean for Spain?
Look, let’s not panic. It’s a friendly. Lamine Yamal — arguably Spain’s most dangerous attacker — didn’t even play due to a hamstring concern, and the entire squad rotation showed De la Fuente wasn’t going all-out. Spain still dominated possession (66%) and created the better chances overall.
But there’s a bigger picture here. The World Cup kicks off in just ten days. Spain open their Group H campaign against Cape Verde on June 15, followed by Saudi Arabia and Uruguay. They have one more rehearsal — against Peru in Puebla, Mexico — before the real stuff begins. After last night, you’d expect De la Fuente to have a few conversations in that training camp.
Iraq Deserve Their Flowers
Let’s not let this pass without saying it plainly: Iraq were brilliant. Graham Arnold’s side have been on an unbeaten run in their last four away matches, and they showed exactly why. Organized, disciplined, dangerous on the counter — and with a goalkeeper in Ahmed Basil who clearly has no interest in being a footnote. The Lions of Mesopotamia are heading to their first World Cup in 40 years, and if Thursday is anything to go by, they won’t be there just to make up the numbers.
Veteran keeper Jalal Hassan also reportedly earned his 101st international cap during the night — a remarkable milestone for a country that’s had to fight for every inch of its footballing identity.
Spain’s World Cup dream is still very much alive. But Iraq just gave the world a little reminder: in football, the scoreboard doesn’t care about your reputation.
Final Score: Spain 1–1 Iraq Goals: Ferran Torres (16′), Merchas Doski (27′)
