Our prediction for this World Cup 2026 match:
Spain will be aiming to bounce back from a 2-1 loss to Sweden when they take on Georgia at Estadio Nuevo Vivero on Sunday evening. La Roja are two points behind group B leaders Spain, and seeing that the Scandinavians have one game in hand, Luis Enrique’s troops face a must-win situation against Georgia. Even though all Oyarzabal, Olmo, Pedri, and Sergio Ramos are out of contention, home win should be considered as Luis Enrique has a number of high-profile footballers to choose from.
Georgia, on the other hand, have been struggling in the 2022 World Cup qualifiers, with the team collecting only one point in total from possible 12. David faces Goliath at Estadio Nuevo Vivero, and anything but a routine home win would be a big surprise. Georgia midfielder Otar Kiteishvili, who limped off with injury in the loss to Kosovo, is unlikely to feature against Spain.
Highlighted Player (Koke):
Jorge Resurreccion Merodio “Koke” has enjoyed a meteoric rise after coming through the youth ranks at Atletico Madrid, quickly becoming an important player for both club and country. Possessing impressive technical skills and very mature for his age, the highly rated midfielder is capable of covering just about any position in the middle of the park and he has been used as a central midfielder, left winger and right winger by both Diego Simeone and Vicente Del Bosque.
Koke has been a key member of one of the best generations in the history of Atletico Madrid, winning the 2013/2014 La Liga trophy and reaching the Champions League final the same year. Widely regarded as one of Europe’s best midfielders, it is only a matter of time before Koke will join an absolute top club and he is believed to be a primary target for La Liga rivals Barcelona.
While playing alongside Xavi Hernandez at the 2014 World Cup, Koke is believed to be a worthy successor of the former Catalans star in the national team now that he has retired, and with 20 Spain caps to his name, his international career is just starting.
Highlighted Team (Georgia):
Georgia are yet another former Soviet republic who have been competing as an independent country since 1990. The Georgians had their international debut on May 27, 1990, with the team sharing the spoils with Lithuania in Tbilisi.
Georgia have been struggling in the qualifiers for both FIFA World Cup and the European Championship ever since they played their first qualifying game and they have yet to book their place at the finals of the major tournaments. The Georgian national football team recorded their biggest win on March 30, 1997, with the team hammering Armenia in front of home fans, but they were demolished by Denmark (1-6) eight years later and that is considered the team’s biggest loss.
The Likes of Kakha Kaladze and Shota Arveladze are considered Georgia’s most famous players. Kakha Kaladze played for Georgia from 1996 to 2011, scoring one goal in 83 appearances for the national team. The left-footed defender won two Champions League titles with Serie A giants AC Milan (2003, 2007).