Spain close in on World Cup qualification as Huijsen withdraws from squad with injury

Spain moved to the brink of securing their place at the 2026 FIFA World Cup with a commanding 4–0 victory over Georgia on Saturday, although the result came without the involvement of young defender Dean Huijsen, who was forced to pull out of the squad earlier in the day.

The Spanish Football Federation confirmed on Saturday morning that Huijsen would not travel to Tbilisi after sustaining a muscle problem during Spain’s final training session at Las Rozas. The setback brings an end to a run in which the Real Madrid defender had started every match since making his senior debut in March.

Huijsen will now return to Real Madrid’s Valdebebas base for medical tests. While his injury is not believed to jeopardise his availability for next weekend’s La Liga fixture against Elche, the coaching staff felt the issue was significant enough to rule him out of the trip to Georgia.

In his absence, head coach Luis de la Fuente turned to Athletic Club’s Aymeric Laporte and Barcelona youngster Pau Cubarsí to anchor the defence, with Tottenham Hotspur’s Pedro Porro also stepping in as cover for the sidelined Dani Carvajal.

Spain deliver dominant display in Tbilisi

Despite being without several regulars, Spain produced one of their most assured performances of the qualifying campaign at the Boris Paichadze National Stadium, comfortably dispatching Georgia to strengthen their grip on an automatic World Cup berth.

La Roja asserted their authority from the opening minutes. A handball inside the area gave Spain an early penalty, calmly dispatched by Mikel Oyarzabal in the 8th minute to set the tone for the evening.

Arsenal midfielder Martín Zubimendi doubled the lead midway through the first half with a clinical finish, before Ferran Torres added a third shortly before half-time from close range. Spain maintained complete control after the break, continuing to dictate play with sustained pressure and intelligent movement. Oyarzabal secured his brace with a well-taken header, effectively extinguishing any faint hopes of a Georgian resurgence.

Defensively, Spain were equally impressive. Their organisation and compact shape restricted Georgia to minimal openings, with the hosts failing to register a shot on target for long spells as Spain recorded yet another clean sheet.

Qualification all but sealed

The victory places Spain firmly in command of their qualifying group. With only one match remaining, a favourable result in their final fixture will mathematically confirm their place at the World Cup — though the size of their goal difference already leaves them virtually assured of automatic qualification.

Saturday’s performance also highlighted Spain’s considerable squad depth. Even without several key players, including their Real Madrid contingent, the balance, discipline and cohesion of de la Fuente’s side remained intact throughout a dominant showing in Tbilisi.