Will La Roja bounce back?
Although the Spanish national soccer team is currently the top favorite to win the 2026 World Cup, However, in their most recent friendly—a match against Egypt in Barcelona overshadowed by incidents of racism—La Roja could not manage more than a 0-0 draw despite out-shooting their opponents 22-4. Accordingly, a compelling bet for Spain vs. Iraq is that Luis de la Fuente’s squad will once again fail to secure a rout, as he is likely to rotate his lineup extensively and experiment with different formations.
Added to this is the fact that the Iraqi squad is no pushover, as their victory in the intercontinental playoffs against Bolivia demonstrated. The Lions of Mesopotamia have lost only two of their last 13 international matches (nine wins, two draws), which also influences our prediction for Spain vs. Iraq.
It would certainly be a massive surprise if the Iraqis, of all teams, were to end the reigning European champions’ 28-match unbeaten streak (21 wins, seven draws). However, a rout by the Spaniards is also not all that likely, especially since the Lions of Mesopotamia defend very well and have conceded only nine goals in their last 13 international matches. If the expected rotation disrupts La Roja’s flow, it shouldn’t be a high-scoring match in La Coruña, which is why we recommend betting on under 3.5 goals.
Our two alternative betting recommendations follow a similar line of thinking. On the one hand, via the bet365 app for Spain vs. Iraq at odds of 2.10, you could also place an Asian handicap bet of +2.75 on the Lions of Mesopotamia, which rules out a heavy defeat on the Iberian Peninsula just as much as the under bet. And secondly, at Interwetten, the tip that the reigning European champions will win a maximum of one half, regardless of the match’s outcome, stands out.
Spain – Iraq Head-to-Head Record
Head to Head: 1 – 0 – 0
The two nations have faced each other in an international match only once, which was a competitive match at the 2009 Confederations Cup.
In the group stage, Spain prevailed 1-0 over Iraq. Now they’ll meet again as both teams play their first friendly match against each other shortly before the 2026 World Cup.
Spain – Iraq Prediction
On paper, of course, it should be a clear-cut affair when the top favorite for this year’s World Cup title faces a nation that has qualified for the World Cup for the first time since 1986 and has only half a dozen players earning their keep in Europe.
Nevertheless, the Lions of Mesopotamia have lost only two of their last 13 international matches (nine wins, two draws) and conceded just nine goals in the process. Graham Arnold’s squad therefore fundamentally has what it takes to pose problems for La Roja, especially since the Iraqis are remarkably effective at defending crosses.
On top of that, Luis de la Fuente will certainly use this friendly once again to rotate his squad extensively. While La Roja certainly possesses the individual quality needed to win the match, the Iraqi defense should not be underestimated, particularly due to its cohesion, which is why we see the best value in betting that there will be a maximum of three goals. For under 3.5 goals, Betano is offering odds of 2.02 on Spain vs. Iraq, which we’re betting on via the convenient Betano app with four out of ten units.
