Reigning UEFA European champions and one of the leading contenders for the FIFA World Cup 2026 title, Spain, will take on Peru in an international friendly on Tuesday as they continue their preparations for the tournament, which begins on June 11.
The match, scheduled to be played at Estadio Cuauhtémoc in Puebla City, Mexico, will mark the first meeting between the two nations in 18 years. Their previous encounter came in May 2008, when Spain secured a 2-1 victory over Peru. Just weeks later, La Roja went on to lift the UEFA Euro 2008 trophy, signalling the start of one of the most successful eras in their football history.
Spain enter the contest looking to regain momentum after a surprise 1-1 draw against Iraq last week. Luis de la Fuente's side have shown signs of vulnerability in recent months, having also been held to a goalless draw by Egypt in March. While Spain remain unbeaten for more than a year, their recent performances have raised questions ahead of the World Cup.
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Peru, meanwhile, have produced some encouraging results in recent outings. They played out a 2-2 draw against Honduras in March before registering a 2-1 win over Haiti in their most recent fixture, providing a welcome boost in confidence.
Currently ranked 53rd in the FIFA standings, Peru will be aiming to pull off a major upset against one of the tournament favourites. However, overcoming Spain will be a difficult task given the Europeans' quality and depth.
The South Americans are also seeking to rebuild after a disappointing World Cup qualifying campaign, which saw them miss out on a place at the FIFA World Cup finals for a second consecutive edition.
Spain will be playing Peru without the services of Lamine Yamal, Nico Williams and Víctor Muñoz as the three players are recovering from their injuries. They are part of the Spain's World Cup squad though.
Spain squad
Goalkeepers: Unai Simon, David Raya, Joan Garcia
Defenders: Marc Cucurella, Pau Cubarsi, Erick García, Marcos Llorente, Pedro Porro, Alejandro Grimaldo, Marc Pubill
Midfielders: Pedri, Fabian Ruiz, Martin Zubimendi, Gavi, Rodri, Alex Baena, Mikel Merino
Forwards: Dani Olmo, Mikel Oyarzabal, Nico Williams*, Yeremy Pino, Ferran Torres, Borja Iglesias, Victor Munoz*, Lamine Yamal*
*(Not fit for this match)
Peru Squad
Goalkeepers: Pedro Gallese, Alejandro Duarte
Defenders: Oliver Sonne, Marcos López, Miguel Araujo, Renzo Garcés, Luis Abram, Fabio Gruber, Matías Zegarra, Alfonso Barco
Midfielders: Renato Tapia, Yoshimar Yotún, Jesús Pretell, Jairo Concha, André Carrillo, Adrián Quiroz, Dominique Simon
Forwards: Jhonny Vidales, José Rivera, Kenji Cabrera, Jairo Vélez, Maxloren Castro
Possible Playing XIs
Spain (4-2-3-1): David Raya (GK); Pedro Porro, Marc Pubill, Aymeric Laporte, Alejandro Grimaldo; Gavi, Martin Zubimendi; Ferran Torres, Dani Olmo, Alex Baena; Borja Iglesias
Peru (4-3-3): Pedro Gallesse (GK); Oliver Sonne, Renzo Garces, Alfonso Barco, Marcos López; André Carrillo, Erick Noriega, Jairo Concha; Jairo Vélez, Jhonny Vidales,Kenji Cabrera
Kick-off Time
The match will kick-off at 7.30 AM IST on Tuesday, June 9.
Broadcast and LIVE stream details
No broadcast or LIVE stream for this game has been confirmed. However, fans can watch the highlights of the match on the SonyLIV app.
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