Soccer-Spain beat Peru 3-1 in friendly as World Cup fever grips Puebla


Soccer Football - International Friendly - Peru v Spain - Estadio Cuauhtemoc, Puebla, Mexico - June 8, 2026 Peru's Marcos Lopez in action with Spain's Ferran Torres REUTERS/Eloisa Sanchez

PUEBLA, Mexico, June 8 (Reuters) - Spain beat Peru 3-1 ⁠on Monday in their final World Cup ‌warm-up match, giving thousands of fans in Puebla a glimpse of one of the tournament favourites days before the global showpiece ​begins.

Mikel Oyarzabal opened the scoring ⁠after two minutes with ⁠a fierce strike from the edge of the area ⁠before ‌Pedri doubled the lead after the half-hour mark, tapping into an empty net following ⁠a cross from Ferran Torres.

Spain added a ​third early ‌in the second half when Yeremy Pino's delivery ⁠forced an ​error from goalkeeper Pedro Gallese, before Jairo Velez pulled one back for Peru with a low finish.

World Cup ⁠fever was evident around the stadium, ​where Spain shirts dominated the stands alongside Barcelona jerseys, reflecting the club's strong representation in Luis de la ⁠Fuente's squad.

Peru supporters were outnumbered but remained vocal throughout the evening.

Pedri, Rodri and Ferran Torres drew some of the loudest cheers as fans broke into ​chants and performed Mexican waves ⁠around the stadium.

World Cup merchandise stalls lined the streets ​outside, while heavy security protocols ‌did little to dampen the ​festive atmosphere.

The tournament kicks off on Thursday.

(Reporting by Janina Nuno Rios; Editing by Peter Rutherford)

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