Spain boss Luis de la Fuente insists there will be no half measures from his side against fellow World Cup qualifiers Iraq tomorrow night and dismissed concerns about the pitch in La Coruna.The state of the surface at the Riazor has been a talking point just eight days before the global showpiece gets underway but De la Fuente is not worried about any of his squad sustaining an injury and says they will be going at full throttle.He said: The news we have is that they are putting in all the hours, day and night, so that the pitch is in perfect condition. They have sent us photos and there are professionals who are doing their utmost to ensure it is okay. Also, playing at half gas is impossible. For us it is important, it is preparation and has a great significance in where we want to be on June 15 [the day Spain face Cape Verde in their opening game in Atlanta].Let us not anticipate events. It seems that we are thinking that something bad is going to happen. Of course there are risks, because this is sport. For me its not a friendly but an unofficial match. In soccer you cant say youre not going to do a sprint, or jump.Spain already have several injury worries with Lamine Yamal and Nico Williams sidelined and Mikel Merino only just making his way back from a long-term foot problem.But De la Fuente is happy with the progress they are making, adding: We are very pleased with the attitude of all the players. The injured are evolving as we had planned. We are co-ordinated with the clubs and the response of the players is better every day. I think the good news is that everyone can get to the first game, but we will also have to see if it is appropriate for them to participate or not [on June 15].Iraq had to go through a 21-game qualification campaign to reach the finals only to be placed in a hugely difficult Group I with France, Norway and Senegal.Facing opponents of Spains quality will, therefore, be a good test of where they are at and the tweaks coach Graham Arnold may need to implement before their first game against Norway on June 16 in Boston.Table of ContentsTeam news for Spain v IraqPredicted line-ups for Spain v IraqWhere to watch Spain v Iraq: TV and online streamsStats for Spain v IraqPrediction for Spain v IraqTeam news for Spain v IraqMerino is likely to start on the bench alongside other members of the squad who played in Saturdays Champions League final: Fabian Ruiz, David Raya and Martin Zubimendi.Iraq are at full strength and will be led by Aymen Hussein, who has scored 33 goals in 93 international appearances.Predicted line-ups for Spain v IraqSpain: Simon; Porro, Laporte, Cubarsi, Cucurella; Gavi, Rodri, Pedri; Olmo, Oyarzabal, TorresIraq: Hassan; H. Ali, Tahseen, Hashim, Doski; Amyn, Al-Ammari, Sher, Bayesh; Jassim, HusseinWhere to watch Spain v Iraq: TV and online streamsSpain versus Iraq kicks off on Thursday night at 8pm UK time. You can watch it on Amazon Prime PPV.Stats for Spain v IraqEuropean champions Spain are second in the FIFA rankingsIraq are down in 57th placeSpain are unbeaten in 16 home gamesSpain have not lost in 90 minutes since a friendly defeat to Colombia over two years agoIraq are preparing for their first World Cup appearance since 1986Prediction for Spain v IraqDespite De la Fuentes claims, Spain wont be in full tournament mode just yet with this game another useful step in their preparation.That said, they will have too much for an Iraq side that struggled to a 1-0 win over European minnows Andorra last week.Prediction: Spain 4-0 Iraq Topics iraq national football team Spain National Football Team Add us as a preferred source on Google If you enjoy reading this article, you can help support our independent football journalism by adding 101 Great Goals as a preferred source You Should Also Read Spain boss De la Fuente takes sly dig at Mourinho over Real Madrid job: Its important to value the Spanish coach Jon Fisher 1st June, 2026 How long is Lamine Yamal out? Latest news, injury update and Barcelona and Spain wingers reaction to hamstring problem before 2026 FIFA World Cup Ben Miller 1st June, 2026 Manchester City star Rodri refuses to rule out Real Madrid move: Well see after the World Cup Jon Fisher 1st June, 2026 Spain World Cup squad confirmed as NO Real Madrid players included Mitch Fretton 25th May, 2026 Israel minister criticises Yamal for waving Palestine flag Mitch Fretton 14th May, 2026 Nico Williams suffers moderate hamstring injury to join Lamine Yamal on the sidelines in pre-World Cup worry for Spain Jon Fisher 11th May, 2026
