Merino’s Brilliance, Spain’s Mastery: La Roja Marches Toward World Cup with 4-0 Triumph Over Bulgaria

On a crisp Tuesday night in Valladolid, Spain continued their inexorable march to the World Cup, overwhelming Bulgaria 4-0 at José Zorrilla to all but secure their place atop Group E. As the final whistle echoed through the stands, it was impossible to escape the sense that a new generation of Spanish stars is ready to impose their style on world football—none more so than Mikel Merino, whose commanding performance threaded together the narrative of dominance.

Spain entered this latest qualifier as the continent’s most in-form side: three wins from three, eleven goals scored, none conceded, and an air of invincibility under Luis de la Fuente’s guidance. Bulgaria arrived with quite the opposite baggage—winless, outscored twelve to one, and haunted by the memory of September’s comprehensive home defeat by the same Spanish side.

From the outset, it was clear that Spain’s blueprint for superiority would be methodically executed. De la Fuente’s charges pressed with fluidity and intelligence, suffocating Bulgaria’s brief spells of possession and dictating the game’s tempo. As the half-hour mark approached, Spain had already rattled the woodwork—Pedri coming agonizingly close with a delicate lob that bounced unkindly off the bar.

The breakthrough, as inevitable as the Spanish rhythm, arrived just past the 35th minute. After Bulgaria scrambled away a corner, Pedri collected the loose ball and lofted a calculated pass into the danger zone. Center-back Robin Le Normand nodded it intelligently back across the face of goal for Merino, who thundered home a header with authority—a finish that underscored both Spain’s technical quality and Bulgaria’s aerial frailty.

The interval offered Bulgaria little respite. The visitors had managed only a single touch inside Spain’s penalty area through the first half—a statistic that spoke volumes about the gulf in class. But any hopes of a second-half reversal were dashed swiftly. Just before the hour, Alex Grimaldo—roving with characteristic intent down the left channel—whipped in an inviting cross. Once again, Merino rose above a static defense, planting his header past a beleaguered Bulgarian keeper to double the hosts’ advantage.

If Bulgaria harbored any flicker of hope, it was snuffed out in the 79th minute by a bout of misfortune. Substitute Aleix Garcia surged to the byline and drilled a low ball across goal; in the ensuing scramble, center-back Atanas Chernev, under pressure and desperate to intervene, inadvertently steered the ball into his own net. The own goal was emblematic of a Bulgarian campaign defined as much by self-inflicted wounds as by their opponents’ quality.

Spain, relentless even with the result beyond question, pressed for a fourth. Their reward came in the dying moments. As Merino surged into the box yet again, he was brought down by the outmatched Martin Georgiev, prompting the referee to point decisively to the spot. Mikel Oyarzabal, who had already scored twice in the group, dispatched the penalty with trademark composure into the bottom corner—capping a night of clinical finishing and symbolizing Spain’s cutting edge.

For Bulgaria, the final whistle brought not just defeat but elimination. Dragged to the bottom of Group E with zero points, having shipped sixteen goals in four matches, their World Cup dream is conclusively over with two games still to play. It has now been over a quarter-century since they last graced the World Cup stage—a drought that seems destined to continue.

Spain’s trajectory, meanwhile, is only rising. Twelve points from four games, zero goals conceded, and a style that blends positional play with individual flair mark them as early favorites not just for group supremacy, but perhaps for a deep run at next summer’s finals. Merino’s brace brings his tally to three goals in as many qualifiers, while contributions from the likes of Oyarzabal, Grimaldo, and Pedri point to a team with depth and no shortage of options in attack.

Looking ahead, Spain needs just four more points to guarantee automatic qualification for 2026. Their penultimate fixture against Georgia, followed by a potential group decider against Turkey, will provide De la Fuente an opportunity to fine-tune his squad and perhaps introduce younger talents to the international stage.

Bulgaria’s challenge now is one of pride: to restore competitiveness in the final two qualifiers and lay the groundwork for the next cycle. Whether this defeat serves as a nadir or a turning point will be determined in the months ahead.

But on this night in Valladolid, the gulf between aspirant and contender was plain. Spain, with artistry and assurance, moves forward—leaving Bulgaria’s battered hopes in their wake and a warning to any who doubt their credentials as a force to be reckoned with at the next World Cup.