Spain couldn't break past Iraq in their first World Cup warm-up game, settling for a 1-1 draw at the Riazor in La Coruña on Thursday.
Ferran Torres gave Spain an early lead in the 16th minute. Iraq pushed numbers up the field and got caught on the counter. Torres drove past two defenders and fired a low shot that squeezed past goalkeeper Ahmed Basil.
But Iraq equalized later in the first half, with a defender scoring to level things up — a career milestone for the Iraqi player. After that, Iraq packed it in defensively and waited for Spain to try to break them down. Spain had 75 percent of the ball but couldn't do much with it.
Head coach Luis de la Fuente used this as his most experimental lineup of his tenure, rotating heavily and giving minutes to fringe players. Lamine Yamal didn't play due to a minor muscle issue. Mikel Merino came on as a sub in his return to the national team after a long injury layoff.
Spain has now drawn back-to-back friendlies, including a tie with Egypt back in March. They play Peru next in Mexico before opening the World Cup on June 15 against Cape Verde.
For Iraq, this was a statement result. They're back in the World Cup for the first time since 1986 and showed they can stay organized against top competition. They face Venezuela next, then open group play against Norway on June 16.