Luis de la Fuente’s Spain will face Georgia knowing that a victory all but guarantees a place in the 2026 FIFA World Cup, but they’ll have to do so without Lamine Yamal.
Yamal’s three assists during Spain’s first two games of UEFA’s 2026 World Cup qualifiers helped his side take a commanding lead in Group E. He was sensational in La Roja’s 6–0 win against Türkiye back in September, a result that has Spain on the brink of qualification.
A victory against Georgia would mean only Türkiye can equal Spain on points atop the group—assuming Türkiye beats Bulgaria on Saturday.
Türkiye could equal Spain on points when the two nations meet in the final round of games next week, but La Roja would have to lose 7–0 at home to relinquish the top spot of the group, given head-to-head results is the first tiebreaker in UEFA’s qualifiers.
Essentially, if Spain beat Georgia on Saturday, they’ll punch a ticket to next summer’s tournament. Still, Yamal’s withdrawal from Spain’s camp earlier in the week continues to steal headlines and it’ll prevent him from representing La Roja in the remainder of 2025.
