2010 World Cup: The most beautiful childhood memories of Spain's current stars
Miami (AFP) – It is only natural that the 2010 World Cup in South Africa, which saw their country crowned champions for the first and only time to date, serves as a primary reference point for the players of the Spanish national team, who were then children or teenagers, when asked, “What are your most beautiful memories of the World Cup?”
Andrés Iniesta’s goal in the 116th minute of the final against the Netherlands on July 11, 2010, at Soccer City in Johannesburg, marked the most pivotal moment in Spanish football history.
This unforgettable celebration has imprinted itself on an entire generation of children who now represent the Spanish national team, following in the footsteps of their idols in hopes of adding a second star to the jersey of “La Roja.”
At that time, Spain had won the world title two years after claiming the European Championship in 2008. They are also entering the current finals two years after winning the continental title again in 2024 in Germany.
Among the 26 players called up by Luis de la Fuente, who are preparing to face France on Tuesday in the 2026 World Cup semi-final in Arlington, Texas, Lamine Yamal is the youngest.
The Barcelona star, who celebrates his 19th birthday on Monday, was just three years old when the achievement took place in South Africa in 2010, while the oldest player in the current squad is Borja Iglesias (33 years old).
Rodri, captain of “La Roja” and winner of the 2024 Ballon d’Or, recalled that memory in an interview with FIFA’s website, saying: “I was 14 years old and participating in a camp in the United States to learn English, in Connecticut. We were in the middle of a forest; there was no signal for phones or internet, nothing at all.”
He added: “I knew Spain’s match results through some messages received by the supervisors. When Spain reached the final, I asked them to find a way for us to watch the match. And there, in the middle of the forest, I watched Spain become world champions. When Iniesta scored, I ran alone, and the others didn’t understand why I was so happy, shouting ‘goal.’”
His teammate Alejandro Grimaldo was 14 years old in 2010. The left-back told AFP: “There was incredible excitement about the national team, and we all shared it. I was at my parents’ holiday home with friends and family, and we were all watching the match together. I remember it as if it happened yesterday. There was an amazing celebration in the village, and it was truly beautiful.”
Pedro Porro, who was 10 years old at the time, experienced a similar atmosphere: “I was swimming in my village. It was an exceptional World Cup thanks to Iniesta’s goal, because it united the country. It would be wonderful to experience that again.”
English Arsenal goalkeeper David Raya was a promising teenager at 15 in 2010, and he saw then-captain Iker Casillas as his role model.
Raya said: “When I was young, I followed Casillas. He was always my reference point, because of everything he contributed to the Spanish national team and Real Madrid from an early age.”
Raya carries in the corner of his mind the dream of following in Casillas’s footsteps.
He added: “We recall 2010 and lifting the World Cup with your country. We experienced it as 15-year-old children, but now we have the chance to return with the second star to the country.”
Striker Borja Iglesias was 17 years old when Iniesta scored the winning goal. He said during a press conference: “I didn’t just imagine this for myself, but I imagined it for many of my teammates as well, and I really hope to live it. That’s why we are here, and I hope it comes true.”
