Spain... Writing a New Brilliant Chapter
EAST RUTHERFORD – AFP – Having crowned themselves 2026 World Cup champions by defeating Argentina 1-0 after extra time, and just two years after winning the European Championship, Spain’s national team, led by Lamine Yamal, Rodri, Dani Olmo, and their teammates, wrote a new glorious chapter in their country’s football history, following in the footsteps of the title-winning pioneers of 2010.
Just as their predecessors, led by Andrés Iniesta and Xavi, secured La Roja’s first World Cup title after winning the European Championship in 2008, Luis de la Fuente’s players achieved a very rare double. Only West Germany (1972–1974) and France (1998–2000) had previously accomplished this feat in Europe before Spain did so 16 years ago.
This achievement opens the door to dreams of extending their dominance further, similar to that golden generation which continued its stunning control by winning the 2012 European Championship, thereby achieving an unprecedented treble.
De la Fuente himself noted before the World Cup: “I see some similarities with the group that won in 2010,” referring to a tournament where his national team applied some of the recipes that led to victory in South Africa.
This team not only collects titles but, like its predecessors, is distinguished by a playing style akin to a relentless machine that leaves no opportunity for its opponents.
In a display of power against France in the semi-final (2-0), Spain presented a model of collective control, led by an outstanding midfield capable of depriving opponents of the ball during long periods of possession before delivering the decisive blow in a fleeting moment.
Thanks to this approach, the Spanish national team hardly left any chances for the French side and its fiery attacking trio of Kylian Mbappé, Ousmane Dembélé, and Michael Olise. The French were granted almost no clear shooting opportunities, finishing the match with a modest expected goals statistic of just 0.3 (a measure of scoring probability).
After the match, De la Fuente praised his national team, which he described as “the best in the world,” stating: “I always repeat that the margin for improvement is limitless, and the players prove it every time.”
In the final against Argentina, Spain once again possessed the ball for over 65 percent of the time, while passing figures also reflected the significant gap (852 passes compared to 464).
Over the course of eight World Cup matches, La Roja’s goal net was breached only once, against Belgium in the quarter-finals (2-1). This achievement surpasses even what the 2010 generation accomplished, which conceded two goals in seven matches.
However, tempting comparisons between the two generations have their limits. Current Spain has not yet reached the level of the legendary double formed by Xavi and Iniesta, but it is moving more toward an attacking style to capitalize on the speed of its stars Yamal and Nico Williams.
Nevertheless, injuries limited the impact of the duo, as both the Barcelona talent and the Athletic Bilbao winger were less prominent in this World Cup edition compared to the European Championship, where Yamal, in particular, played a decisive role in the semi-final (one goal) and the final (one assist).
Does this constitute an additional reason for optimism about the future of a national team featuring names such as Pau Cubarsí, Yamal (19), and Pedri (23), who appear to have a golden future ahead?
Yet the experience of 2010 calls for caution. After their historic treble consisting of the European Championship, the World Cup, and then the European Championship again, the Spanish national team did not win any knockout match at the World Cup until 2026 (eliminated in the group stage in 2014, and in the round of 16 in 2018 and 2022).
The style that won everyone’s admiration, based on rapid-fire passing, sometimes relies on a delicate balance, and has devolved into a caricature during lean years, with aimless play unable to create meaningful differences.
De la Fuente’s men have faced this challenge since their opening match at the North American World Cup, when they drew goalless with modest Cape Verde.
The final also highlighted the lack of effectiveness among Spain’s attacking talents: 20 shots, 12 on target, resulting in just one goal (although the Argentine net was shaken twice more, with two goals disallowed by the referee for offside or prior infractions).
“La Roja” must also monitor the physical condition of some of its key players, such as 30-year-old Fabián Ruiz, 29-year-old Mikel Oyarzabal (who scored five goals in this tournament), and 30-year-old Rodri, winner of the 2024 Ballon d’Or and best player at the 2026 World Cup, who has suffered consecutive injuries amid the relentless pace of modern football, which drains both bodies and minds.
The next opportunity will come in 2028 in the United Kingdom and Ireland, co-hosts of the European Championship, to see whether the heirs to the 2010 generation can rise to the same level, before they dare to dream of hosting a World Cup four years later, jointly with Portugal and Morocco.
