Spain aren’t just winning – they’re taking over international football.
It’s been a trophy parade since 2023:
- Nations League 2023 – Winners
- Euro 2024 – Winners
- Olympic Games 2024 – Winners
- Nations League 2025 – Finalists
And now? They head into the 2026 World Cup as the bookmakers’ No.1 favourites.
The Stars Leading the Charge
This isn’t just a purple patch – the talent pool is absurd.
Lamine Yamal is only 18, yet already one of the most dangerous forwards in world football. Rodri? Undisputed as the best holding midfielder on the planet. And when it comes to dictating tempo, nobody runs a game quite like Pedri.
The ‘underrated’ core of this Spanish team are still stars in their own right; Marc Cucurella, Martín Zubimendi and Nico Williams walk into almost any other national squad.
Then there’s the new defensive wall – Pau Cubarsí (18) and Dean Huijsen (20). Young, fearless and set to anchor Spain for the next decade.
Ruthlessly Consistent
Germany lost to Slovakia, the Netherlands struggled against Poland.
Spain, on the other hand, simply don’t slip up. Since the beginning of the 2024/25 season they’ve lost just once; a penalty shootout in the Nations League final.
The recent 3-0 away victory over Bulgaria was total football. They had four times as many shots on target as Bulgaria managed touches in the Spanish box.
It wasn’t just a win, it was domination.
Echoes of the Golden Era
Spain’s current run inevitably draws comparisons to their golden era of 2008-2012, when they won back-to-back Euros and the 2010 World Cup with legends like Xavi, Iniesta and Casillas. Tika-taka was the name of the game, suffocating control of the game and seemingly passing teams into submission.
But this new generation? They’re doing it differently.
Yamal brings a directness and cutting edge that the old guard were often lacking. Rodri is Busquets’ natural heir; arguably even more of a complete midfielder. Pedri channels shades of Iniesta.
The Spain of old smothered teams with possession. The new Spain kills teams with speed, creativity and depth. The foundations are the same, but the execution feels sharper, faster and more ruthless.
This isn’t just a repeat of the golden era. It will be something even bigger.
