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It all started in Scotland and the momentum remains unbroken. That fateful evening at Hampden marked only Luis de la Fuente's second outing as Spain's manager; many believed it might prove to be his final assignment. Despite two Scott McTominay goals overcoming the Spanish national team, while virtually everyone expected his tenure would be brief, De la Fuente talked about a pathway opening - and interestingly, the man once accused of living in Disneyland proved correct.

Three years and four days, Spain moved extremely close of global football participation, and also achieving their twenty-ninth consecutive official game unbeaten, equaling the legendary record.

Pedri's Influence and Merino's Impact

During an evening when the Barcelona midfielder featured and Mikel Merino created the decisive impact, Spain overcame Bulgaria 4-0 to accumulate a perfect dozen from twelve in World Cup qualification, nearing advancement. The Arsenal midfielder and occasional forward scored the first two goals and could have earned his second consecutive hat-trick in three recent Spain matches but after brought down in the closing minute, he selflessly passed the penalty to Mikel Oyarzabal instead.

Thus it was the Real Sociedad striker, scorer of the winning goal in the Euro 2024 final, who maintained the impressive sequence, equaling what Vicente del Bosque's golden generation achieved between 2010 and 2013.

Historic Achievement

Now, you might have noticed the asterisk, and rightly so. Although FIFA may not classify it as a loss, during this impressive run Spain actually lose once – 7-5 on penalties to Portugal in the continental tournament final back in June. Yet officially at least, this present team has matched that legendary team against which all Spanish national teams are compared.

Win in Georgia in thirty days and the record will be theirs alone. En route they won the Nations League in 2023, the European Championships in 2024 and reached a Nations League final in 2025; they head toward 2026 ranked No. 1, among the favorites once more, reminiscent of previous eras.

Total Control

The match represented "only" against Bulgaria, admittedly, just as previous encounters against Georgia, Bulgaria, and Turkey but that's four victories from four, aggregate score fifteen-zero. Occurred two moments immediately after La Selección scored their opening goals – the third being an self-inflicted – but ultimately their opponents had not been allowed a single shot on target.

Overall count showed: 33-3, Spain demonstrably playing as Spain. Bulgaria's coach had admitted 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 constituted Spain's eighteenth attempt on target by that point.

Midfield Brilliance

This performance was about all of them, but at the heart of it was Pedri, ubiquitous and elusive at once: everywhere for Spain, nowhere for Bulgaria, unable to detect him as he darted through their lines. He completed one hundred and one passes by the time he was substituted to a rapturous applause on the sixty-sixth minute, and his were the instances of utmost subtlety, the most exquisite touches and the most incisive too.

When the Valladolid stadium sang his name midway the opening period, he had just drifted unnoticed into the area once more, dinking his shot over Svetoslav Vutsov and onto the crossbar, but it was not only that. He had already floated a magnificent pass into Álex Baena to strike wide and pulled an additional pass from which Baena was denied.

Sustained Attack

An cleverly weighted pass had created opportunity for Samu Aghehowa up for what should have been the opener, and a precise lay-off saw Oyarzabal scuff his shot. He received a chance of his own only to fail to find a proper contact, striking wide.

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

Brief Resistance

But then in part it's the uncertainty, even the unfairness, that makes football great. And the initial occasion Bulgaria got into Spain's territory they could have equalized, Kiril Despodov abruptly sprinting away and striking the outside of the net.

Brought on for Aghehowa at the break, Borja Iglesias had multiple chances in as many minutes before Merino did it again. The delivery from the left flank was excellent from Álex Grimaldo and there, jumping above all defenders, was Merino to power the header downward and dash off to do laps around the corner flag.

Final Moments

As they had after the opener, Bulgaria survived again, Despodov sent through and sending his and their following shot wide and nevertheless the first time the away team had a shot on target it was at the wrong end, Atanas Chernev deflecting into his team's goal. Still it was not completely finished, Merino fouled in the shins and stepping aside to let Oyarzabal blast in the 99th goal of De la Fuente's ongoing tenure.