Spain vs Serbia – News and Probable Lineups

Spain will continue their build-up for the 2026 World Cup with a friendly match against Serbia at Villarreal’s Estadio de la Ceramica on Friday night.

La Roja will commence their World Cup journey against Cape Verde on June 15, while Serbia did not qualify for this summer’s tournament, finishing third in Group K behind England and Albania.

Match overview

Spain displayed strong performances during their qualification for the 2026 World Cup, accumulating 16 points from six matches to secure first place, three points ahead of second-placed Turkey.

Luis de la Fuente’s squad is among the top contenders for this summer’s tournament, alongside England, Argentina, France, Brazil, and Portugal, all viewed as trophy challengers.

Spain won the World Cup in 2010 but has faced elimination in the round of 16 in the last two tournaments, also experiencing a group-stage exit in 2010.

La Roja is set to play against Serbia and Egypt in two friendlies this month, followed by their 2026 World Cup opening match against Cape Verde on June 15.

Spain will also compete against Saudi Arabia and Uruguay in the group stage of this summer’s tournament, and it would be astonishing if they were unable to progress to the knockout phase.

On the other hand, Serbia will not be participating in the 2026 World Cup after finishing third in their qualification group, gathering 13 points over eight matches.

Veljko Paunovic’s team ended up one point shy of second-placed Albania and 11 points behind the group leaders, England, winning four, drawing one, and losing three of their eight encounters.

Serbia will next engage in competitive play in the UEFA Nations League, commencing against Greece at the end of September.

Before that, the national team has three friendlies lined up, including a clash with Saudi Arabia on March 31, followed by a match against Mexico on June 4.

Previously, Serbia and Spain have met three times, with Serbia suffering a 3-0 defeat the last time they faced off in October 2024, but previously managed to hold La Roja to a 0-0 draw in September 2024.

Spain friendlies form:

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Spain form (all competitions):

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Serbia friendlies form:

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Serbia form (all competitions):

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Team News

Spain’s head coach De la Fuente plans to utilize his full squad in the upcoming friendly matches, yet a recognizable starting XI is expected to take to the field at the start of the game, featuring Lamine Yamal.

Ferran Torres and Mikel Oyarzabal could also be involved in the attacking phase, while Rodri and Pedri are likely to be key starters for the national team on Friday night.

Marcos Llorente may be selected as right-back, with Dean Huijsen also projected to start, while Unai Simon is anticipated to be in goal despite competition for the goalkeeper position.

Notable absentees from the recent squad include Fabian Ruiz, Mikel Merino, Pablo Barrios, Gavi, Alvaro Morata, and Nico Williams.

As for Serbia, Aleksandar Mitrovic remains strong at 31 years old and will aim to increase his tally of 63 goals for the national team during this fixture.

Luka Jovic, with 11 goals for Serbia, is slated to participate in the attacking line, while Nemanja Gudelj is set to earn his 75th cap.

This Serbian squad brings a wealth of experience in terms of appearances, and Nottingham Forest’s Nikola Milenkovic is also expected to start against Spain.

Spain probable starting XI:
Simon; Llorente, Laporte, Huijsen, Cucurella; Rodri, Zubimendi, Pedri; Yamal, F Torres, Oyarzabal

Serbia probable starting XI:
Rajkovic; Pavlovic, Milenkovic, Erakovic, Terzic; Gudelj, Milinkovic-Savic, Lukic; Kostic; Mitrovic, Jovic

Serbia is expected to provide a robust challenge for Spain, which is precisely what La Roja will need at this juncture of their preparations. A close match scoreline is anticipated, with Spain likely emerging as narrow victors on home ground.