New Delhi, 27 March (H.S.):

Spain’s football team will lock horns with Peru in its final preparatory match ahead of the FIFA World Cup 2026, the Royal Spanish Football Federation confirmed on Thursday. The friendly clash is scheduled for June 8 in the Mexican city of Puebla, six days before the start of the tournament.

The tie will serve as Europe’s reigning champions’ last competitive outing before they begin their World Cup campaign in Group H, where they are due to face Cape Verde in their opening fixture in Atlanta. Spain will also play two other friendlies this month, against Serbia and Egypt, as Federico Ochoa and the coaching staff continue to fine‑tune tactics, combinations and match fitness.

An earlier “finalisima”‑style clash proposed against Argentina in Qatar has been cancelled due to the ongoing Iran–US‑Israel war, depriving Spain of one high‑profile test against another top‑tier side. The revamped schedule now centres on the Peru encounter in Puebla as the final validation of the squad’s readiness ahead of the main tournament.

FIFA World Cup 2026 will be jointly hosted by Mexico, the United States and Canada, with the competition kicking off on June 11. The triple‑continental format will see the world’s elite national teams battle for the sport’s most coveted prize, while Spain looks to harness the momentum of its recent European and continental successes as it targets another deep run in the tournament.

---------------

Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar