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Spain’s rising footballer Lamine Yamal briefly faced difficulties leaving Türkiye after misplacing his passport in Konya, where Spain had defeated Türkiye 6-0 in a 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifying match on Sunday.
The 18-year-old forward noticed the document was missing as he boarded the team bus following the match. While the rest of the Spanish squad prepared to leave, Yamal was scheduled to travel separately on a private jet.
Local reports said Yamal returned to the airport apron to search through his luggage after realizing the passport was not with him. The Spanish Football Federation contacted Turkish authorities, and a joint effort was launched with the Konya Police Department to address the matter.
After several hours, the issue was resolved and Yamal was able to leave Türkiye later that evening by private jet.
The incident added a brief off-field complication to Spain’s visit, which ended with their second Group E match victory in the European qualifiers for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
The game, held at MEDAS Konya Metropolitan Stadium, ended with a commanding victory for the visitors. Spain led 3-0 at halftime and extended their dominance in the second half. Goals came from Pedri, who scored twice, Merino, who netted three times, and Ferran Torres.
With the result, Spain maintained its lead in Group E of the European qualifiers, raising its points total to six. Türkiye, which suffered its first defeat of the campaign, remained on three points and dropped to third place behind Georgia on goal difference.
Bulgaria, still without a point, sits at the bottom of the group.
Türkiye will play its next match away against Bulgaria on October 11, while Spain is set to host Georgia.
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