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**Spain and Bulgaria Kick Off World Cup Qualifying Campaign in Tight Group E**

**Sofia, Bulgaria** – The road to the 2026 FIFA World Cup begins for Spain and Bulgaria this Thursday as they face off at the Vasil Levski National Stadium in Sofia at 9:45 PM local time (18:45 GMT). This match marks the start of a condensed, high-stakes qualifying sprint for the two nations, who find themselves in a challenging Group E alongside Turkiye and Georgia.

For Spain, the reigning European champions, this marks their first step to qualify for the World Cup, the reward for progressing deep into the later stages of the Nations League games. After conquering Netherlands in the Nations League quarterfinal, their group includes Turkiye and Georgia, two breakout successes at Euro 2024. Georgia, led by star winger Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, poses a significant threat. Georgia are also playing on Thursday against Turkiye, while their game against Spain is due on October 11.

Bulgaria, on the other hand, seeks to cause an upset on home soil. Their coach is expected to deploy a five-man defence to attempt to shut down the Spanish attack. Selection woes are present in the goalkeeping position. Aberdeen’s Dimitar Mitov and Levski Sofia’s Svetoslav Vutsov are the likely candidates.

Spain will have to navigate the qualifiers without key players Gavi, Fabian Ruiz, and Yeremy Pino, all sidelined due to late injuries. Aleix Garcia and Jorge de Frutos have been called up as replacements.

This is only the sixth meeting between the two sides, with Spain dominating the head-to-head record with four wins and one draw. Their last competitive encounter was at the France ’98 World Cup, where Spain cruised to a 6-1 victory.

The new qualifying format sees Europe utilizing smaller groups, compressing the schedule, and adding extra playoff opportunities through the Nations League. This means every game carries immense weight, and any slip-up could prove costly. The top team from the group automatically qualifies, while the runner-up enters playoffs.

Football fans can follow Al Jazeera Sport’s build-up from 6:45 PM (15:45 GMT) ahead of live text commentary. The match promises to be a crucial opening fixture in what is expected to be a tightly contested qualifying campaign.

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