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It all started in Scottish soil and this impressive streak remains unbroken. That fateful evening at Hampden marked only Luis de la Fuente's second outing as Spain's manager; many believed it could prove to be his last match in charge. Although a pair of Scott McTominay goals defeating the Spanish national team, while almost all spectators anticipated his tenure would be brief, De la Fuente talked about a pathway opening - and interestingly, the man previously criticized of being unrealistic turned out right.

Three years and later, Spain advanced extremely close of global football qualification, while simultaneously racking up their 29th consecutive official game unbeaten, matching the historic record.

Midfield Masterclass and Decisive Contribution

On a night when the Barcelona midfielder played and Mikel Merino made the decisive impact, Spain overcame Bulgaria 4-0 to secure a perfect dozen from 12 in qualifying, edging closer. The Arsenal midfielder and occasional striker netted the first two goals and might have earned his second three-goal haul in three recent Spain matches but when fouled in the closing minute, he generously handed the penalty to Mikel Oyarzabal instead.

Therefore it was La Real attacker, scorer of the winning goal in the Euro 2024 final, who continued the impressive sequence, matching what Vicente del Bosque's legendary squad achieved between 2010 and 2013.

Record Equaled

Currently, you might have noticed the asterisk, and rightly so. While FIFA might not count it as a defeat, during this remarkable run Spain did lose once – seven-five on penalties to Portugal in the Nations League final back in June. However formally at least, this current team has equaled that historic squad against which all Spanish national teams are measured.

Victory in Georgia in a month and the achievement will be theirs alone. Along the way they won the Nations League in 2023, the European Championships in 2024 and reached a Nations League final in 2025; they approach 2026 ranked No. 1, among the favorites once more, reminiscent of previous eras.

Complete Domination

This was "only" against Bulgaria, it is true, just as previous encounters against Georgia, Bulgaria, and Turkey but that's four wins from four outings, aggregate score fifteen-zero. There were two moments immediately after La Selección scored their first two goals – the third being an self-inflicted – but ultimately their opponents had not been permitted a single shot on target.

Overall count read: thirty-three to three, Spain clearly playing as Spain. Bulgaria's coach had confessed the sole objective his team could have was to resist as long as they could. As it turned out, that resistance lasted 33 minutes, and Merino's header represented Spain's eighteenth attempt on target by that point.

Pedri's Masterclass

This performance was about all of them, but at the core of it was Pedri, ubiquitous and elusive at once: present for Spain, absent for Bulgaria, incapable to detect him as he flitted through their lines. He executed one hundred and one passes by the time he was withdrawn to a standing ovation on the sixty-sixth minute, and his were the moments of greatest subtlety, the most exquisite touches and the sharpest as well.

When the Valladolid stadium sang his name during the first half, he had just slipped unnoticed into the penalty box once more, dinking his shot over Svetoslav Vutsov and onto the woodwork, but it was not only that. He had already floated a gorgeous pass into Álex Baena to volley wide and delivered another back from which Baena was denied.

Sustained Attack

An cleverly weighted pass had created opportunity for Samu Aghehowa up for what ought to have been the opener, and a neat lay-off saw Oyarzabal mishit his attempt. He got a opportunity of his own only to fail to find a clean connection, striking wide.

But then, almost immediately after, he floated another ball in. This time Robin Le Normand nodded across and Merino directed in. Spain, who had 88% of the possession, then had the advantage. The heat map looked like they had exhausted supply of marking paint half way through and a little later Aghehowa could have made it two-nil.

Brief Resistance

But then in part it's the unpredictability, even the unfairness, that makes football great. And the first time Bulgaria got into Spain's half they might have equalized, Kiril Despodov suddenly sprinting away and striking the side-netting.

Introduced for Aghehowa at the break, Borja Iglesias had three opportunities in as many minutes before Merino scored again. The cross from the left flank was excellent from Álex Grimaldo and there, leaping above everyone, was Merino to direct the header downward and sprint to celebrate around the flagpost.

Final Moments

Similar to their reaction after the opener, Bulgaria survived once more, Despodov sent through and putting his and their second shot wide and yet the initial instance the away team had a shot on target it was at the incorrect goal, Atanas Chernev turning into his own net. Yet it was not completely finished, Merino kicked in the shins and allowing to let Oyarzabal smash in the 99th goal of De la Fuente's ongoing reign.