Spain will host Turkey in their final match of the FIFA World Cup 2026 Qualifiers on Tuesday, looking to wrap up the campaign on a high.

Spain are coming into the game vs Turkey on the back of five consecutive victories in the FIFA World Cup 2026 Qualifiers. La Roja are yet to concede a single goal in their last five matches as well. They will be the favourites to pick up all three points here.

On the other hand, Turkey are coming into this game on the back of four wins from their last five World Cup qualifiers. This will be a challenging contest for the away side, but they are in impressive form as well. Both teams will be desperate for all three points, and this is likely to be a cracking contest. It will be interesting to see who comes out on top.

Both teams will fancy their chances against each other. Spain are undoubtedly the better team, and it will be interesting to see if they can get the job done. The Hard Tackle takes a closer look at the encounter ahead of the latest meeting between the two sides.

Team News & Tactics

Spain

Spain will be without Barcelona star Lamine Yamal due to a groin issue ahead of the game vs Turkey on Tuesday night. The home side will line up in a 4-3-3 formation, with Unai Simon taking his usual spot between the sticks.

Pedro Porro and Marc Cucurella will start on the flanks, and they will look to keep things tight, defensively, and hit Turkey on the break. At the heart of the defence, Aymeric Laporte will start alongside Pau Cubarsi.

As for the midfield unit, Arsenal duo Martin Zubimendi and Mikel Merino will start in the middle of the park, with Fabian Ruiz likely to join them. They will look to control the game from the deep and add defensive cover on the side as well.

Ferran Torres and Alex Baena are likely to start in the wide areas, with Mikel Oyarzabal set to lead the line for Spain vs Turkey at Estadio de la Cartuja on Tuesday.

Probable Lineup (4-3-3): Simon; Porro, Cubarsi, Laporte, Cucurella; Merino, Zubimendi, Ruiz; Ferran Torres, Oyarzabal, Baena

Turkey

Turkey will shape up in a 4-2-3-1 system vs Spain, with Ugurcan Cakir in goal. The away side do not have any major injury problems heading into this game at Estadio de la Cartuja.

Zeki Celik and Ferdi Kadioglu will start as the full-backs. They will look to keep things tight defensively and hit Spain on the break. Abdulkerim Bardakci and Merih Demiral will form the central defensive partnership.

As for the midfield unit, Hakan Calhanoglu and Ismail Yuksek will pair up in the double pivot in the middle of the park. The central midfield duo will look to protect the back four and create chances from the deep.

Oguz Aydin and Kenan Yildiz will start on the flanks here. They will look to add pace, flair, and unpredictability going forward. They will look to create opportunities on the break and help out during transitions.

Arda Guler will reprise the attacking midfield role here. He will look to link the midfield with the attack and create opportunities for his teammates. Finally, Kerem Akturkoglu will lead the line for Turkey vs Spain on Tuesday.

Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Cakir; Celik, Demiral, Bardakci, Kadioglu; Calhanoglu, Yuksek; Aydin, Guler, Yildiz; Akturkoglu

Key Stats

• Spain have picked up five wins from the last five World Cup qualifiers.
• Turkey have picked up four wins from the last five World Cup qualifiers.
• Spain have picked up four wins from the last four matches against Turkey.
• Spain have kept a clean sheet in the last five World Cup qualifiers.
• Spain have scored 12 goals in the last four matches against Turkey.

Player to Watch

Kenan Yildiz

Embed from Getty Images

The Turkish attacking sensation is our key player to watch out for. Spain will be the favourites to pick up a victory here, and the away side will need their key players to step up and deliver. The Juventus attacker is one of the best young players in the world, and it will be interesting to see if he can produce a strong performance.

Turkey will need Yildiz to step up and deliver if they want to grind out a positive result here. The young attacker could help create chances for his teammates and find the back of the net as well. The visitors will depend on him to open up the home defence.

Prediction

Spain 3-1 Turkey

Spain are undoubtedly the better team on paper, and they should be able to get the job done here. Turkey are likely to put up a fight, but the gulf in class between the two teams is quite significant. This will be an open game with a fair few chances, and both teams are likely to get on the score sheet.

However, Spain have more quality and depth in the attacking unit, and they should be able to grind out a comfortable victory at home. The Hard Tackle predicts a 3-1 win for Luis de la Fuente and his charges.