IFFHS WORLD STATS - WORLD CUP QUALIFIERS AND FRIENDLIES
Picture : Mikel Oyarzabal is Spain’s most successful attacking player: 8 goals and 6 assists in last 8 competitive games (including 2 goals and 1 assist vs Georgia).
Statistics on WC 2026 qualifiers and friendlies (14-15 November)
*Only 3 of the 12 European groups already have a winner before tha last match-day of the World Cup qualifying.
Angola vs Argentina 0-2 (friendly)
*Argentina have now 15 consecutive wins and are undefeated in 23 consecutive friendly matches.
Their last loss in a non-competitive match was against Venezuela in 2019.
*Kevin Mac Allister has debutted for Argentina playing along with his brother Alexis.
Number of brother sets called up to the Argentine national team has thus extended to 30.
In 14 of these cases, brothers played together. Before the Mac Allister duo, the Milito brothers were the last playing together (against Japan in 2010).
*Lionel Messi has scored a historic goal, his first in Africa over the career (he has played 5 games there before, all in 2010 at World Cup in South Africa, without scoring).
*Also, Messi has now scored more goals for Argentina after turning 30 years (57) than anyone else has ever scored at any age for the country (Gabriel Batistuta has the highest tally among others, 56 goals).
Russia vs Chile 0-2 (friendly)
*Chile ended Russia's streak, who hadn't lost against a senior national team during 4 years, since 14 November 2021 (0-1 vs Croatia).
Russia had gone 22 consecutive matches without a loss.
Brazil vs Senegal 2-0 (friendly)
*Even longer unbeaten streak has been broken in this game. Brazil put an end to Senegal's great run (33 consecutive matches without a loss), who were just 4 games away from equaling Italy's world record.
Georgia vs Spain 0-4
*After Senegal’s loss, the current best unbeaten streak belongs to Spain: now 25 consecutive matches. After falling on 22 March 2024 (1-0 vs Colombia), they have recorded 20 wins and 5 draws.
*At the same time, Spain remain unbeaten in 30 official games in a row across all competitions (25 wins, 5 draws). This is their best run ever, surpassing a 29-game unbeaten streak between June 2010 and June 2013.
Spain is the 4th team to go 30 consecutive non-friendly matches without a loss in the history of international football, behind only:
Morocco (38 games, between 2018 and 2022),
Senegal (36 games, ongoing streak),
Italy (31 games, between 2018 and 2021).
*Spain are extending also their scoring run in World Cup Qualifying matches: now 48 games in a row (world record).
The streak began after a 0-0 draw in Belgrade in 2005.
*In each of last 12 consecutive matches, Spain have scored at least two goals.
*Mikel Oyarzabal is Spain’s most successful attacking player: 8 goals and 6 assists in last 8 competitive games (including 2 goals and 1 assist vs Georgia).