Peru vs Spain Prediction 09.06.2026 | Friendly International

Peru travel to Mexico buoyed by a welcome lift in morale, despite the painful reality of missing out on qualification for the FIFA World Cup 2026, having finished as one of the weaker sides in CONMEBOL qualifying with 10 defeats from 18 matches.

Now undergoing a rebuilding phase under interim guidance from Mano Menezes, La Blanquirroja showed encouraging resilience on Friday evening, coming from behind to secure a dramatic 2-1 comeback victory over World Cup-bound Haiti, with late goals from Renzo Garces and Jairo Velez sealing the turnaround.

That battling display underlined that, while lacking the depth of previous generations, Peru remain a difficult and combative opponent when operating in an underdog role, although they will need to tighten defensively if they are to disrupt higher-level opposition, having kept just one clean sheet in their last nine outings.

Despite making heavy use of rotation in the second half against Haiti, Menezes could hand starting opportunities to match-winners Garces and Velez, while experienced 36-year-old goalkeeper Pedro Gallese is expected to retain his place between the posts.

Spain head into this year’s global showpiece under immense pressure and expectation, following a period of strong progression under head coach Luis de la Fuente, who has overseen a clear tactical evolution since their UEFA Euro 2024 triumph, guiding La Roja through a near-perfect qualifying campaign in which they collected 16 of a possible 18 points while recording a dominant 21-2 goal difference.

In the build-up to this summer’s tournament, however, Spain have shown signs of slight stagnation in their warm-up fixtures, being held to a goalless draw by Egypt before also being frustrated in a disappointing 1-1 stalemate with Iraq in their most recent outing, raising minor concerns over their attacking sharpness.

That said, La Roja have been particularly ruthless away from home, stringing together three consecutive away victories in which they scored 13 goals without conceding a single time, a run that highlights their ability to produce dominant performances on the road and which they will be eager to replicate on the biggest stage.

Champions League finalists Fabian Ruiz, David Raya, and Martin Zubimendi are set to link up with the squad for this fixture, and could potentially be handed minutes in the second half as Spain continue their preparations.