Less than two weeks before Spain's debut in the World Cup in USA, Mexico, and Canada against the exotic Cabo Verde, the national team starts its preparation with a duel against Iraq at the Riazor stadium in A Coruña. Subsequently, they will face Peru in Puebla (Mexico), the last opportunity to make tactical adjustments and test players before the tournament.

This match will serve to get the team rolling, establish automatisms, and test tactical variations and players. The squad awaits the incorporation of key players like Lamine Yamal or Nico Williams, who are recovering from injuries, as well as the internationals from Arsenal and PSG, who will join after playing the Champions League final in Budapest.

There is concern about the condition of the Riazor pitch following the pitch invasion during the celebration of Dépor's promotion. However, coach Luis de la Fuente guaranteed that intensive work is being done to ensure the pitch is in perfect condition and considered it 'impossible' to play at half-speed, despite it being a friendly before the major event.

Historically, World Cup preparation matches in the 21st century, with at least two prior encounters (except for Qatar 2022), have seen Spain face opponents with similar characteristics, resulting in an almost perfect record of victories. The last precedent before Qatar was a win against Jordan (1-3).

In the preparation for the Russia 2018 World Cup, under Julen Lopetegui, Spain drew against Switzerland (1-1) and defeated Tunisia (0-1). For the Brazil 2014 World Cup, the team beat Bolivia and El Salvador before their participation.

Before winning the South Africa 2010 World Cup, Spain played three preparation matches, including victories against Saudi Arabia, South Korea, and Poland. Previously, in preparation for the Germany World Cup, Luis Aragonés led the team to wins against Egypt and Croatia.