The Spain national football team represents
SpainSpain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
in
internationalThe Fédération Internationale de Football Association , commonly known by the acronym FIFA , is the international governing body of :association football, futsal and beach football. Its headquarters are located in Zurich, Switzerland, and its president is Sepp Blatter, who is in his fourth...
association football and is controlled by the Royal Spanish Football Federation, the governing body for
football in SpainFootball is the most popular sport in Spain. The Royal Spanish Football Federation is the national governing body and it organizes La Liga, the Copa del Rey and the Spain national football team, current champion of the FIFA World Cup...
. The current head coach is
Vicente del BosqueVicente del Bosque González, 1st Marquis of Del Bosque is a former Spanish footballer He is currently the manager of the Spanish national football team. After taking over from Luis Aragonés who had led Spain to European success in Euro 2008, Del Bosque went on to manage the national team to the...
. The Spanish side is commonly referred to as
La Roja (The Red [One]) or
La Furia Roja (The Red Fury).
Spain are the current reigning World and European champions, having won the
2010 FIFA World CupThe 2010 FIFA World Cup was the 19th FIFA World Cup, the world championship for men's national association football teams. It took place in South Africa from 11 June to 11 July 2010...
and the 2008 UEFA European Football Championship. Spain also won the 1964 European Nations' Cup and reached the
UEFA Euro 1984 FinalThe final of UEFA Euro 1984 was a football match played on 27 June 1984 at Parc des Princes in Paris, France to determine the winner of UEFA Euro 1984...
. In July 2008 Spain rose to the top of the
FIFA World RankingsThe FIFA World Rankings is a ranking system for men's national teams in association football, currently led by Spain. The teams of the member nations of FIFA , football's world governing body, are ranked based on their game results with the most successful teams being ranked highest...
for the first time in the team's history, becoming the sixth nation to top this ranking, and the first nation to top the ranking without previously having won the World Cup. Between November 2006 and June 2009 Spain went undefeated for a record-tying 35 consecutive matches before their loss to the
United StatesThe United States men's national soccer team represents the United States in international association football competitions. It is controlled by the United States Soccer Federation and competes in CONCACAF...
, a record shared with
BrazilThe Brazil national football team represents Brazil in international men's football and is controlled by the Brazilian Football Confederation , the governing body for football in Brazil. They are a member of the International Federation of Association Football since 1923 and also a member of the...
, including a record 15-game winning streak and thus earning third place in the FIFA Confederations Cup. Recently, the team has become known for using a style of play which involves roaming movement and positional interchange amongst midfielders, moving the ball in intricate patterns, and sharp, one- or two-touch passing; this style of play has been dubbed Tiki-taka (or
Tiqui-taca). The success of Spain in recent times and their style of play, has helped the Spanish team become a dominant force in world football.
Early years and the effect of war
The
Real Federación Española de Fútbol (Royal Spanish Football Federation) was founded in 1909 and became affiliated with
FIFAThe Fédération Internationale de Football Association , commonly known by the acronym FIFA , is the international governing body of :association football, futsal and beach football. Its headquarters are located in Zurich, Switzerland, and its president is Sepp Blatter, who is in his fourth...
in 1913. However, the national team did not play a full international match until 1920 when they beat
DenmarkThe Denmark national football team represents Denmark in association football and is controlled by the Danish Football Association , the governing body for the football clubs which are organized under DBU...
1–0 in the Olympic Games. Their first appearance at a major finals was the
1934 World CupThe 1934 FIFA World Cup was the second FIFA World Cup, the world championship for men's national association football teams. It took place in Italy from 27 May to 10 June 1934....
, for which they
qualifiedEstonia v Lithuania was not played, since neither team could qualify with a win.Sweden qualified.-Group 2:----Spain qualified.-Group 3:Italy qualified, as Greece withdrew after the first match.-Group 4:--------...
after 9–0 and 2–1 wins over
PortugalThe Portugal national football team represents Portugal in association football and is controlled by the Portuguese Football Federation, the governing body for football in Portugal. Portugal's home ground is Estádio Nacional in Oeiras, and their head coach is Paulo Bento...
. They beat
BrazilThe Brazil national football team represents Brazil in international men's football and is controlled by the Brazilian Football Confederation , the governing body for football in Brazil. They are a member of the International Federation of Association Football since 1923 and also a member of the...
3–1 in the first round, before losing 1–0 in a replay to hosts, and eventual champions
ItalyThe Italy National Football Team , represents Italy in association football and is controlled by the Italian Football Federation , the governing body for football in Italy. Italy is the second most successful national team in the history of the World Cup having won four titles , just one fewer than...
in
FlorenceFlorence is the capital city of the Italian region of Tuscany and of the province of Florence. It is the most populous city in Tuscany, with approximately 370,000 inhabitants, expanding to over 1.5 million in the metropolitan area....
. On 3 May 1936 Spain beat
SwitzerlandThe Swiss national football team is the national football team of Switzerland...
2–0 in Bern, in what would prove to be their last game until after the
Spanish Civil WarThe Spanish Civil WarAlso known as The Crusade among Nationalists, the Fourth Carlist War among Carlists, and The Rebellion or Uprising among Republicans. was a major conflict fought in Spain from 17 July 1936 to 1 April 1939...
in 1941. They would then play only against similarly politically-aligned countries, or Switzerland,
Republic of IrelandThe Republic of Ireland national football team represents Ireland in association football. It is run by the Football Association of Ireland and currently plays home fixtures at Aviva Stadium in Dublin, which opened in May 2010....
and Portugal, neutral during World War II until 1949 when they drew 1–1 with
Belgium and re-entered FIFA competition.
1950s
The
Spanish Civil WarThe Spanish Civil WarAlso known as The Crusade among Nationalists, the Fourth Carlist War among Carlists, and The Rebellion or Uprising among Republicans. was a major conflict fought in Spain from 17 July 1936 to 1 April 1939...
and World War II prevented Spain from playing any competitive matches between the 1934 World Cup and the
1950 World CupThe 1950 FIFA World Cup, held in Brazil from 24 June to 16 July, was the fourth FIFA World Cup. It was the first World Cup since 1938, the planned 1942 and 1946 competitions having been canceled owing to World War II...
qualifiers-First round:Syria withdrew, and remaining match was not played.Turkey advanced to the Final Round.-Final round:Austria withdrew, so Turkey qualified automatically. But Turkey later also withdrew, and FIFA offered the place to Portugal, the runner-up of Group 6, but they declined...
, where they overcame Iberian rivals
PortugalThe Portugal national football team represents Portugal in association football and is controlled by the Portuguese Football Federation, the governing body for football in Portugal. Portugal's home ground is Estádio Nacional in Oeiras, and their head coach is Paulo Bento...
, who later declined an invitation to take part, with a 5–1 win and 2–2 draw. At the finals in Brazil, they topped their group against
EnglandThe England national football team represents England in association football and is controlled by the Football Association, the governing body for football in England. England is the joint oldest national football team in the world, alongside Scotland, whom they played in the world's first...
,
ChileThe Chilean national football team represents Chile in all major international football competitions. The team is controlled by the Federación de Fútbol de Chile which was established in 1895. They have appeared in eight World Cup tournaments and were hosts of the 1962 FIFA World Cup finishing in...
and the
United StatesThe United States men's national soccer team represents the United States in international association football competitions. It is controlled by the United States Soccer Federation and competes in CONCACAF...
to progress to the final round.For the first, and so far only time in the history of the FIFA World Cup, the winner was decided, not by a single championship match, but via a group format involving the four teams who had won their respective groups in the previous stage. The four teams in the final group were
UruguayThe Uruguayan national football team represents Uruguay in international association football and is controlled by the Uruguayan Football Association, the governing body for football in Uruguay. The current head coach is Óscar Tabárez...
,
BrazilThe Brazil national football team represents Brazil in international men's football and is controlled by the Brazilian Football Confederation , the governing body for football in Brazil. They are a member of the International Federation of Association Football since 1923 and also a member of the...
,
SwedenThe Swedish national football team represents Sweden in association football and is controlled by the Swedish Football Association, the governing body for Football in Sweden. Sweden's home ground is Råsunda Stadium in Stockholms län and their head coach is Erik Hamrén. Sweden made their first...
and Spain. Spain failed to record a win (W0 D1 L2) and finished in fourth place. Until 2010, this had been Spain's highest finish in a FIFA World Cup finals, which had given them the name of the "underachievers." Spain's leading scorer during the 1950 World Cup was striker
Estanislao BasoraEstanislao Basora Brunet is a former Spanish footballer who spent most of his career at FC Barcelona. In 1974, during the club’s 75th anniversary celebrations, he was included in their all-time best XI. Basora also played for both Spain and the Catalan XI...
, who ended the tournament with five goals.
Under French-Argentine coach
Helenio HerreraHelenio Herrera Gavilán was a Franco-Argentine football player and manager.Although born in Argentina, Herrera's parents were both Spanish, his father being a well-known Spanish anarchist in exile...
and Italian assistant coach Daniel Newlan, Spain came out of dormancy to qualify for the first European Championship in 1960. Spain beat
PolandThe Poland national football team represents Poland in association football and is controlled by the Polish Football Association, the governing body for football in Poland...
7–2 on aggregate to progress to the quarterfinals. However, Spain forfeited its quarterfinal tie with the Soviet Union because of political disagreements between Spain's dictator
FrancoFrancisco Franco y Bahamonde was a Spanish general, dictator and head of state of Spain from October 1936 , and de facto regent of the nominally restored Kingdom of Spain from 1947 until his death in November, 1975...
and the Soviets.
The Spaniards, led by
Alfredo Di StéfanoAlfredo Stéfano Di Stéfano Laulhé, born into a family of Italian immigrants from Capri, is a former Argentinian footballer and coach, widely regarded as one of the greatest players of all time...
,
qualifiedSweden and Switzerland finished level on points, and a play-off on neutral ground was played to decide who would qualify.Switzerland qualified for FIFA World Cup 1962 in Chile-UEFA Group 2:--------------------...
for the 1962 World Cup, beating
WalesThe Wales national football team represents Wales in international football. It is controlled by the Football Association of Wales , the governing body for football in Wales, and the third oldest national football association in the world. The team have only qualified for a major international...
3–2 over two legs to advance to the
UEFAThe Union of European Football Associations , almost always referred to by its acronym UEFA is the administrative and controlling body for European association football, futsal and beach soccer....
/
CAFCAF may refer to:Armed forces*Canadian Armed Forces , the Canadian Air Force, Army, and Navy*Canadian Air Force, now the Royal Canadian Air Force*Republic of China Air Force, the air force of the Republic of China...
play-off where they would beat
MoroccoThe Morocco national football team , nicknamed أسود الأطلس , is the national team of Morocco and is managed by Eric Gerets. Winners of the African Nations Cup in 1976, they were the first African team to win a group at the World Cup, which they did in 1986, finishing ahead of Portugal, Poland, and...
4–2 over two legs to advance to the finals.
1982 World Cup in Spain
In 1976, Spain was selected as host of the
1982 FIFA World CupThe 1982 FIFA World Cup, the 12th FIFA World Cup, was held in Spain from 13 June to 11 July. The tournament was won by Italy, after defeating West Germany 3–1 in the final.-Host selection:...
. This edition of the World Cup featured 24 teams for the first time. Expectations were high for Spain as the host nation under coach
José SantamaríaJosé Emilio Santamaría Iglesias is an Spanish-Uruguayan former football player and coach. He is regarded by many as one of the all-time greatest central defenders...
. In the group stages, Spain was drawn into Group 5, in which they could only manage a 1–1 draw with
HondurasThe Honduran national football team, nicknamed Los Catrachos, La Bicolor or La H, is the national team of Honduras and is controlled by the Federación Nacional Autónoma de Fútbol de Honduras...
in the finals' opening match, after which they had a 2–1 victory over
YugoslaviaThe Yugoslavia national football team represented the Kingdom of Yugoslavia and the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia in association football. It enjoyed a modicum of success in international competition. In 1992, during the Yugoslav wars, the team was suspended from international...
, but were defeated 1–0 by
Northern IrelandThe Northern Ireland national football team represents Northern Ireland in international association football. Before 1921 all of Ireland was represented by a single side, the Ireland national football team, organised by the Irish Football Association...
. These results were enough to secure progress to the second round where they were drawn into Group B, but defeat to
West GermanyThe Germany national football team is the football team that has represented Germany in international competition since 1908. It is governed by the German Football Association , which was founded in 1900....
and a goalless draw with
EnglandThe England national football team represents England in association football and is controlled by the Football Association, the governing body for football in England. England is the joint oldest national football team in the world, alongside Scotland, whom they played in the world's first...
meant that Spain were knocked out, and Santamaría was sacked.
1984 to 1988
Former Real Madrid coach
Miguel MuñozMiguel Muñoz Mozún was a Spanish football player and manager.A midfielder, he spent the majority of his career at Real Madrid before going on to coach the club, where he was considered one of the most successful managers in its history, leading the team to two European Cup victories and nine La...
, who had temporarily coached Spain in 1969, returned to coach the national team. Spain was in Euro 84 qualifying Group 7, against
The NetherlandsThe Netherlands National Football Team represents the Netherlands in association football and is controlled by the Royal Dutch Football Association , the governing body for football in the Netherlands...
,
Republic of IrelandThe Republic of Ireland national football team represents Ireland in association football. It is run by the Football Association of Ireland and currently plays home fixtures at Aviva Stadium in Dublin, which opened in May 2010....
,
IcelandThe Iceland national football team is the national football team of Iceland and is controlled by the Football Association of Iceland. It has never advanced to the finals of any major international competition....
, and
MaltaThe Malta national football team is the national football team of Malta and is controlled by the Malta Football Association. Malta played its first international game in February 1957, and began competing for qualification to major tournaments in 1962. The side's first competitive victory came in...
. Entering the last match, Spain needed to defeat Malta by at least 11 goals to surpass the Netherlands for the top spot in the group, and after leading 3–1 at half time, Spain scored nine goals in the second half to win by
12–1The Spain vs Malta 1984 UEFA European Football Championship qualifying match was one of the most important matches ever played by the Spain national team...
and win the group. In the final tournament, Spain was drawn into group B with Romania, Portugal, and West Germany. After 1–1 draws against their first two opponents, Spain topped the group by virtue of a 1–0 victory against West Germany. The semifinals saw Spain and Denmark drawn at 1–1 after extra time, before Spain proceeded by virtue of winning the penalty shootout 5–4 on penalties. Hosts and tournament favourites
FranceThe France national football team represents the nation of France in international football. It is fielded by the French Football Federation , the governing body of football in France, and competes as a member of UEFA, which encompasses the countries of Europe...
defeated Spain 2–0 in the final after a goalless first half.
Spain qualified for the
1986 World CupThe 1986 FIFA World Cup, the 13th FIFA World Cup, was held in Mexico from 31 May to 29 June. The tournament was the second to feature a 24-team format. Colombia had been originally chosen to host the competition by FIFA but, largely due to economic reasons, was not able to do so and officially...
in Mexico having topped Group 7 with
ScotlandThe Scotland national football team represents Scotland in international football and is controlled by the Scottish Football Association. Scotland are the joint oldest national football team in the world, alongside England, whom they played in the world's first international football match in 1872...
,
WalesThe Wales national football team represents Wales in international football. It is controlled by the Football Association of Wales , the governing body for football in Wales, and the third oldest national football association in the world. The team have only qualified for a major international...
, and
IcelandThe Iceland national football team is the national football team of Iceland and is controlled by the Football Association of Iceland. It has never advanced to the finals of any major international competition....
. Spain began the group stage by losing to
BrazilThe Brazil national football team represents Brazil in international men's football and is controlled by the Brazilian Football Confederation , the governing body for football in Brazil. They are a member of the International Federation of Association Football since 1923 and also a member of the...
1–0, but progressed after beating
Northern IrelandThe Northern Ireland national football team represents Northern Ireland in international association football. Before 1921 all of Ireland was represented by a single side, the Ireland national football team, organised by the Irish Football Association...
by 2–1 and
AlgeriaThe Algeria national football team , nicknamed الأفنــاك, Les Fennecs , represents Algeria in association football and is controlled by the Fédération Algérienne de Football. Algeria's home ground is the Stade 5 Juillet 1962 in Algiers and their head coach is Vahid Halilhodžić.Algeria has qualified...
by 3–0. Round 2 paired Spain with
DenmarkThe Denmark national football team represents Denmark in association football and is controlled by the Danish Football Association , the governing body for the football clubs which are organized under DBU...
, who they overcame 5–1 with
Emilio ButragueñoEmilio Butragueño Santos is a retired Spanish footballer who played as a striker.He was best known for his spell with Real Madrid...
scoring four goals, but in the quarterfinals a 1–1 draw with
Belgium ended with Belgium winning 5–4 on penalties.
Muñoz was retained as coach for Euro 88. As in the several previous tournaments Spain qualified impressively in a group with
AustriaThe Austria national football team is the association football team that represents the country of Austria in international competition and is controlled by the Austrian Football Association ....
,
RomaniaThe Romania national football team is the national football team of Romania and is controlled by the Romanian Football Federation.Romania is one of only four national teams, the other three being Brazil, France, and Belgium, that took part in the first three World Cups.However, after that...
, and
AlbaniaThe Albania national association football team is the national association football team of Albania and is controlled by the Football Association of Albania...
. Spain were drawn into group A and began their tournament with a 3–2 victory over
DenmarkThe Denmark national football team represents Denmark in association football and is controlled by the Danish Football Association , the governing body for the football clubs which are organized under DBU...
, but were nevertheless knocked out in the group stage after losing 1–0 and 2–0 to
ItalyThe Italy National Football Team , represents Italy in association football and is controlled by the Italian Football Federation , the governing body for football in Italy. Italy is the second most successful national team in the history of the World Cup having won four titles , just one fewer than...
and
West GermanyThe Germany national football team is the football team that has represented Germany in international competition since 1908. It is governed by the German Football Association , which was founded in 1900....
respectively.
1990 to 1992
For the
1990 World CupThe 1990 FIFA World Cup was the 14th FIFA World Cup, the quadrennial international football world championship tournament. It was held from 8 June to 8 July 1990 in Italy, the second country to host the event twice. Teams representing 116 national football associations from all six populated...
in Italy, Spain had a new coach,
Luis Suárez MiramontesLuis Suárez Miramontes , also known by the diminutive Luisito, is a Spanish former footballer and manager. He played as a midfielder for Deportivo de La Coruña, CD España Industrial, CF Barcelona, Internazionale, Sampdoria and Spain. Suárez is regarded as one of Spain's greatest players; as a...
. Having qualified from a group consisting of Republic of Ireland, Hungary, Northern Ireland, and Malta, Spain entered the competition on a good run of form, and after reaching the knock out stages through a 0–0 draw with Uruguay and wins over South Korea (3–1) and Belgium (2–1), fell to a 2–1 defeat to Yugoslavia in the second round.
Newly appointed coach
Vicente Miera failed to gain qualification for Spain for Euro 92, after finishing third in a group behind France and Czechoslovakia. Vicente Miera did however lead Spain to the gold medal at the
1992 Olympics in
BarcelonaBarcelona is the second largest city in Spain after Madrid, and the capital of Catalonia, with a population of 1,621,537 within its administrative limits on a land area of...
.
Clemente's reign from 1992 to 1998
Javier Clemente was appointed as Spain's coach in 1992, and the qualification for the 1994 World Cup was achieved with eight wins and one loss in twelve matches. In the final tournament Spain were in Group C in which they drew with Korea Republic 2–2 and 1–1 with Germany, before qualifying for the second round with a 3–1 victory over Bolivia. Spain continued through the second round with a 3–0 victory over Switzerland, but their tournament ended with a 2–1 defeat to Italy in the quarter-finals.
Spain qualified for Euro 96 from a group consisting of Denmark, Belgium, Cyprus, Republic of Macedonia, and Armenia. In the final tournament Spain faced group matches against Bulgaria, France and Romania. With 1–1 draws against the first two opponents, and a 2–1 win over Romania, Spain confirmed their place in the quarter-finals, with a match with hosts England, which finished goalless and Spain eventually fell 4–2 in the shootout.
In
his second World CupThe 1998 FIFA World Cup, the 16th FIFA World Cup, was held in France from 10 June to 12 July 1998. France was chosen as host nation by FIFA on 2 July 1992. The tournament was won by France, who beat Brazil 3-0 in the final...
as Spain's coach, Clemente led his team undefeated through their qualifying group in which Yugoslavia and Czech Republic were the other contenders. Spain qualified with fourteen other European sides in the first ever thirty-two team World Cup, but were eliminated in the first round with four points after losing to Nigeria, drawing with Paraguay, and winning just one game, against Bulgaria.
Euro 2000 and World Cup 2002
After a 3–2 opening defeat to Cyprus in Euro 2000 qualifying, Clemente was fired and
José Antonio CamachoJosé Antonio Camacho Alfaro is a retired Spanish footballer who played as a left defender, and the current coach of the China PR national football team....
was appointed as coach. Spain won the rest of their games to qualify for the final tournament, where they were drawn into Group C. A 1–0 defeat to
NorwayThe Norway national football team represents Norway in association football and is controlled by the Football Association of Norway, the governing body for football in Norway. Norway's home ground is Ullevaal Stadion in Oslo and their head coach is Egil Olsen...
was followed by victories over
SloveniaThe Slovenia national football team is the national football team of Slovenia and is controlled by the Football Association of Slovenia. The team played their first match in 1992 after the split of Yugoslavia in 1991....
(2–1) and Yugoslavia (4–3), with Spain thus setting up a quarterfinal against 1998 World Cup champions,
FranceThe France national football team represents the nation of France in international football. It is fielded by the French Football Federation , the governing body of football in France, and competes as a member of UEFA, which encompasses the countries of Europe...
, which was won 2–1 by France.
The qualifying tournament for the
2002 World Cup2002 World Cup may refer to:*Alpine skiing – 2002 Alpine Skiing World Cup*Athletics – 2002 IAAF World Cup*Field Hockey:** 2002 Men's World Hockey Cup** 2002 Women's World Hockey Cup...
went as expected for Spain as Spain topped a group consisting of
AustriaThe Austria national football team is the association football team that represents the country of Austria in international competition and is controlled by the Austrian Football Association ....
,
IsraelThe Israel national football team is the national football team of Israel, controlled by the Israel Football Association .Israel National Football is the direct successor of the Eretz Yisrael National Team during British Mandate...
,
Bosnia and HerzegovinaThe Bosnia and Herzegovina national football team is the national football team of Bosnia and Herzegovina, governed by the Football Association of Bosnia and Herzegovina...
, and
LiechtensteinThe Liechtenstein national football team is the national football team of Liechtenstein and is controlled by the Liechtenstein Football Association. The organisation is known as the Liechtensteiner Fussballverband in German. The team's first match was an unofficial match against Malta in Seoul, a...
. In the final tournament Spain won its three matches in group B, against
SloveniaThe Slovenia national football team is the national football team of Slovenia and is controlled by the Football Association of Slovenia. The team played their first match in 1992 after the split of Yugoslavia in 1991....
,
ParaguayThe Paraguay national football team is controlled by the Paraguayan Football Association and represents Paraguay in men's international football competitions. The team has reached the second round of the World Cup on four occasions . The 2010 trip also featured their first appearance in the...
(both by 3–1), and
South AfricaThe South Africa national football team represents South Africa in association football and is controlled by the South African Football Association, the governing body for football in South Africa. South Africa's home ground is Soccer City, known as FNB Stadium due to a naming rights deal, in...
(3–2). Spain beat
Republic of IrelandThe Republic of Ireland national football team represents Ireland in association football. It is run by the Football Association of Ireland and currently plays home fixtures at Aviva Stadium in Dublin, which opened in May 2010....
on penalties in the second round, and faced co-hosts
Korea RepublicThe Korea Republic national football team represents Korea Republic in international football and is controlled by the Korea Football Association. Korea Republic is the most successful Asian football team in the history of the FIFA World Cup having participated in eight World Cup tournaments,...
in the quarterfinals. Spain twice thought they had scored, but the efforts were disallowed and Korea was successful in the penalty shootout after a 0–0 draw.
Euro 2004
At
Euro 2004The 2004 UEFA European Football Championship, better known as Euro 2004, was the 12th European Football Championship, a quadrennial football tournament for European national teams. It was hosted in Portugal, for the first time, between 12 June and 4 July 2004, following its selection by UEFA, in...
in Portugal, Spain was drawn into group A with hosts
PortugalThe Portugal national football team represents Portugal in association football and is controlled by the Portuguese Football Federation, the governing body for football in Portugal. Portugal's home ground is Estádio Nacional in Oeiras, and their head coach is Paulo Bento...
,
RussiaThe Russia national football team represents Russia in association football and is controlled by the Russian Football Union , the governing body for football in Russia. Russia's home grounds are Luzhniki Stadium, Lokomotiv Stadium , and Petrovsky Stadium in St.Petersburg and their head coach is...
and
GreeceThe Greece national football team represents Greece in association football and is controlled by the Hellenic Football Federation, the governing body for football in Greece. Greece's home ground is Karaiskakis Stadium in Piraeus and their head coach is Fernando Santos...
, behind whom they had finished second in qualifying. Spain defeated Russia 1–0 and drew 1–1 with Greece, but failed to get the draw they needed against Portugal to proceed to the knock out stages.
Iñaki SáezJosé Ignacio "Iñaki" Sáez Ruiz is a retired Spanish football defender and manager.The vast majority of his professional career was spent with Athletic Bilbao, which he later also coached in various levels, appearing in more than 300 official games with his main club.In addition to two other clubs...
was sacked weeks later and replaced by
Luis AragonésJosé Luis Aragonés Suárez , usually referred to as Luis Aragonés and sometimes simply as Luis, is a former Spanish footballer and national coach....
.
The start of a golden era, 2006 World Cup and Euro 2008
Spain qualified for the 2006 World Cup only after a play-off against Slovakia, as they had finished behind Serbia and Montenegro in Group 7, which also included Bosnia and Herzegovina, Belgium, Lithuania, and San Marino. In Group H of the German hosted finals, Spain won all their matches, and beat Ukraine 4–0, Tunisia 3–1 and
Saudi ArabiaSaudi Arabia national football team is the national team of Saudi Arabia and is controlled by the Saudi Arabia Football Federation...
1–0. However Spain fell 3–1 in the second round to
FranceThe France national football team represents the nation of France in international football. It is fielded by the French Football Federation , the governing body of football in France, and competes as a member of UEFA, which encompasses the countries of Europe...
, with only the consolation of a share, with Brazil, of the 2006 FIFA Fair Play Award.
After being eliminated from the competition, Luis Aragonés came to the decision that the team was not physical or tough enough to be able to out-muscle opponents, they therefore opted to start concentrating on monopolising the ball and thus started to employ the tiki-taka - a style characterised by short passing and movement, working the ball through various channels, and maintaining possession.
Raphael HonigsteinRaphael Honigstein, a native of Bavaria, is a German journalist and author. Before becoming a journalist he studied law. Honigstein is currently the English football correspondent for the German newspaper Süddeutsche Zeitung, and German football correspondent for the British newspaper The Guardian...
describes it as "a significant upgrade of the
Dutch "total football""Total Football" is the label given to an influential tactical theory of association football in which any outfield player can take over the role of any other player in a team. It was pioneered by Dutch football club Ajax from 1969 to 1973, and further used by the Netherlands National Football...
, a system that relied on players changing positions." The tiki-taka style of play originates with Johan Cruyff's tenure as manager of Barcelona from 1988 to 1996.
Spain qualified for Euro 2008 at the top of Qualifying Group F with 28 points out of a possible 36, and were
seededThis article gives information about the seedings for UEFA Euro 2008. Each team is given a coefficient based on their average points per game in the qualifying phases of the 2006 FIFA World Cup and Euro 2008 and this is used to calculate the seeding for the UEFA Euro 2008 tournament in Austria and...
12th for the finals. They won all their games in
Group DGroup D of the 2008 UEFA European Championships is one of four groups of competing nations at UEFA Euro 2008. The first round of matches were played on 10 June, with the final round scheduled for 18 June. All six group matches were played at venues in Austria, in Innsbruck and Salzburg...
: 4–1 against Russia, and 2–1 against both Sweden and defending champions Greece.
|
UEFA Euro 2008 FinalThe UEFA Euro 2008 Final was a football match that took place on 29 June 2008 at the Ernst Happel Stadion in Vienna, Austria, to determine the winner of the UEFA Euro 2008. Spain defeated Germany 1–0 with a goal from Fernando Torres...
starting lineup on June 29, 2008, in ViennaVienna is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Austria and one of the nine states of Austria. Vienna is Austria's primary city, with a population of about 1.723 million , and is by far the largest city in Austria, as well as its cultural, economic, and political centre...
(Ernst Happel StadionThe Ernst Happel Stadium in Leopoldstadt, the 2nd district of Austria's capital Vienna, is the largest stadium in Austria. It was built between 1929 and 1931 for the second Workers' Olympiad to the design of German architect Otto Ernst Schweizer...
). |
Reigning World Cup holders
ItalyThe Italy National Football Team , represents Italy in association football and is controlled by the Italian Football Federation , the governing body for football in Italy. Italy is the second most successful national team in the history of the World Cup having won four titles , just one fewer than...
were the opponents in the quarter final match, and held Spain to a finished 0–0 draw resulting in a penalty shoot-out which Spain won 4–2. Spain met Russia again in the semi-final, again beating them, this time by 3-0.
In the
finalThe UEFA Euro 2008 Final was a football match that took place on 29 June 2008 at the Ernst Happel Stadion in Vienna, Austria, to determine the winner of the UEFA Euro 2008. Spain defeated Germany 1–0 with a goal from Fernando Torres...
, played in
ViennaVienna is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Austria and one of the nine states of Austria. Vienna is Austria's primary city, with a population of about 1.723 million , and is by far the largest city in Austria, as well as its cultural, economic, and political centre...
's Ernst-Happel-Stadion, Spain defeated
GermanyThe Germany national football team is the football team that has represented Germany in international competition since 1908. It is governed by the German Football Association , which was founded in 1900....
1–0, with a goal scored by
Fernando TorresFernando José Torres Sanz , nicknamed , is a Spanish footballer who plays for Chelsea and the Spain national team as a striker....
in the 33rd minute. This was Spain's first major title since the 1964 European Championship. Spain were the top scoring team, with 12 goals, and
David VillaDavid Villa Sánchez , nicknamed , is a Spanish footballer who currently plays as a striker for FC Barcelona and the Spanish national football team. He can also operate as a winger....
finished as the top scorer with four goals; Xavi was awarded the player of the tournament, and nine Spanish players were picked for the UEFA Euro 2008 Team of the Tournament.
Confederations Cup debut and 2010 World Cup qualification
Luis AragonésJosé Luis Aragonés Suárez , usually referred to as Luis Aragonés and sometimes simply as Luis, is a former Spanish footballer and national coach....
left the manager's role after the Euro 2008 success, and was replaced by
Vicente del BosqueVicente del Bosque González, 1st Marquis of Del Bosque is a former Spanish footballer He is currently the manager of the Spanish national football team. After taking over from Luis Aragonés who had led Spain to European success in Euro 2008, Del Bosque went on to manage the national team to the...
.
2008 saw
David VillaDavid Villa Sánchez , nicknamed , is a Spanish footballer who currently plays as a striker for FC Barcelona and the Spanish national football team. He can also operate as a winger....
score 16 goals in 15 games, breaking the Spanish record of 10 goals in one year held by
RaúlRaúl González Blanco , known simply as Raúl, is a Spanish footballer who plays as a striker. He currently plays for German club Schalke 04....
since 1999. On 11 February 2009, David Villa broke another Spanish record as his 36th-minute goal against England saw him become the first Spanish player to score in six consecutive games.
By the start of the tournament, Del Bosque's had ten consecutive wins, making him the first international manager to do so from his debut, breaking
Joao SaldanhaJoão Alves Jobin Saldanha was a journalist and football manager. He coached the Brazil national football team during the South American Qualifying to the 1970 FIFA World Cup....
's record, held since 1969, of nine consecutive wins with
BrazilThe Brazil national football team represents Brazil in international men's football and is controlled by the Brazilian Football Confederation , the governing body for football in Brazil. They are a member of the International Federation of Association Football since 1923 and also a member of the...
.
Spain won all three of its matches at the group stage, the 5–0 win over New Zealand including a
Fernando TorresFernando José Torres Sanz , nicknamed , is a Spanish footballer who plays for Chelsea and the Spain national team as a striker....
hat-trickA hat-trick or hat trick in sport is the achievement of a positive feat three times during a game, or other achievements based on threes. The term was first used in 1858 in cricket to describe HH Stephenson's feat of taking three wickets in three balls. A collection was held for Stephenson, and he...
that is the earliest and fastest hat-trick in the tournament's history. With further wins over
IraqThe Iraqi national football team represents Iraq in international football and is controlled by the Iraq Football Association. They won the 2007 Asian Football Confederation Asian Cup tournament.-The Golden Generation:...
(1–0) and (2–0) they earned not only qualification for the semifinals, but also obtained the world record for 15 consecutive wins and tied the record of 35 consecutive unbeaten games (with ).
On 24 June 2009, Spain's undefeated record ended when the
United StatesThe United States men's national soccer team represents the United States in international association football competitions. It is controlled by the United States Soccer Federation and competes in CONCACAF...
beat Spain 2–0 in the
2009 FIFA Confederations CupThe 2009 FIFA Confederations Cup was the eighth Confederations Cup, and was held in South Africa from 14 June to 28 June 2009 as a prelude to the 2010 FIFA World Cup. The draw was held on 22 November 2008 at the Sandton Convention Centre in Johannesburg. The opening match was played at Ellis Park...
semi-finals which sent Spain to the third place match. This was Spain's first defeat since 2006. Spain defeated hosts 3–2 after extra time in the 3rd-place playoff.
On 9 September 2009, Spain secured its place at the 2010 World Cup finals after beating
EstoniaThe Estonia national football team represents Estonia in international association football. Team members are selected by the head coach of Estonian Football Association . Estonia play their home matches at the A. Le Coq Arena in Tallinn, Estonia....
3–0 in
MéridaMérida is the capital of the autonomous community of Extremadura, western central Spain. It has a population of 57,127 . The Archaeological Ensemble of Mérida is a UNESCO World Heritage site since 1993.- Climate :...
. Spain went on to record a perfect World Cup qualifying record with 10 wins out of 10 in Group 5, finishing with a 5–2 victory over
Bosnia and HerzegovinaThe Bosnia and Herzegovina national football team is the national football team of Bosnia and Herzegovina, governed by the Football Association of Bosnia and Herzegovina...
on 14 October 2009. The Spaniards entered the
2010 World CupThe 2010 FIFA World Cup was the 19th FIFA World Cup, the world championship for men's national association football teams. It took place in South Africa from 11 June to 11 July 2010...
and won the whole thing
.
2010 FIFA World Cup Winners
|
| 2010 FIFA World Cup Final The 2010 FIFA World Cup Final was a football match that took place on 11 July 2010 at Soccer City in Johannesburg, South Africa, to determine the winner of the 2010 FIFA World Cup. Spain defeated the Netherlands 1–0 with a goal from Andrés Iniesta four minutes from the end of extra time...
starting lineup on July 11, 2010, in JohannesburgJohannesburg also known as Jozi, Jo'burg or Egoli, is the largest city in South Africa, by population. Johannesburg is the provincial capital of Gauteng, the wealthiest province in South Africa, having the largest economy of any metropolitan region in Sub-Saharan Africa...
(Soccer City). |
See Also: 2010 FIFA World CupThe 2010 FIFA World Cup was the 19th FIFA World Cup, the world championship for men's national association football teams. It took place in South Africa from 11 June to 11 July 2010...
, 2010 FIFA World Cup Group HGroup H of the 2010 FIFA World Cup began on 16 June and ended on 25 June 2010. The group consisted of reigning European champions Spain, Switzerland, Honduras and Chile....
and 2010 FIFA World Cup FinalThe 2010 FIFA World Cup Final was a football match that took place on 11 July 2010 at Soccer City in Johannesburg, South Africa, to determine the winner of the 2010 FIFA World Cup. Spain defeated the Netherlands 1–0 with a goal from Andrés Iniesta four minutes from the end of extra time...
The 2010 World Cup draw, which took place on 4 December 2009, placed Spain in
Group HGroup H of the 2010 FIFA World Cup began on 16 June and ended on 25 June 2010. The group consisted of reigning European champions Spain, Switzerland, Honduras and Chile....
, alongside
SwitzerlandThe Swiss national football team is the national football team of Switzerland...
,
HondurasThe Honduran national football team, nicknamed Los Catrachos, La Bicolor or La H, is the national team of Honduras and is controlled by the Federación Nacional Autónoma de Fútbol de Honduras...
, and
ChileThe Chilean national football team represents Chile in all major international football competitions. The team is controlled by the Federación de Fútbol de Chile which was established in 1895. They have appeared in eight World Cup tournaments and were hosts of the 1962 FIFA World Cup finishing in...
. Spain lost its first group stage match against Switzerland, 0–1. In their second match they defeated Honduras by 2 goals from
David VillaDavid Villa Sánchez , nicknamed , is a Spanish footballer who currently plays as a striker for FC Barcelona and the Spanish national football team. He can also operate as a winger....
. Their next match against
ChileThe Chilean national football team represents Chile in all major international football competitions. The team is controlled by the Federación de Fútbol de Chile which was established in 1895. They have appeared in eight World Cup tournaments and were hosts of the 1962 FIFA World Cup finishing in...
on 25 June was won 2–1.
They advanced to the knock-out stage to defeat Portugal 1–0, reaching the quarter-finals, in which they defeated
ParaguayThe Paraguay national football team is controlled by the Paraguayan Football Association and represents Paraguay in men's international football competitions. The team has reached the second round of the World Cup on four occasions . The 2010 trip also featured their first appearance in the...
1-0, scoring off of a goal by
David VillaDavid Villa Sánchez , nicknamed , is a Spanish footballer who currently plays as a striker for FC Barcelona and the Spanish national football team. He can also operate as a winger....
who put the ball in the back of the net after struck the ball off the post, reaching the last four for the first time since
1950The 1950 FIFA World Cup, held in Brazil from 24 June to 16 July, was the fourth FIFA World Cup. It was the first World Cup since 1938, the planned 1942 and 1946 competitions having been canceled owing to World War II...
. They then advanced to the
finalThe 2010 FIFA World Cup Final was a football match that took place on 11 July 2010 at Soccer City in Johannesburg, South Africa, to determine the winner of the 2010 FIFA World Cup. Spain defeated the Netherlands 1–0 with a goal from Andrés Iniesta four minutes from the end of extra time...
for the first time ever by defeating the favoured
GermanyThe Germany national football team is the football team that has represented Germany in international competition since 1908. It is governed by the German Football Association , which was founded in 1900....
1-0 via a headed goal from
Carles PuyolCarles Puyol i Saforcada is a Spanish footballer who plays for FC Barcelona and the Spanish national team.Mainly a central defender, he can also play on either flank, especially as a right back...
.
In the final four minutes of extra time during the World Cup final against the
NetherlandsThe Netherlands National Football Team represents the Netherlands in association football and is controlled by the Royal Dutch Football Association , the governing body for football in the Netherlands...
,
Andrés IniestaAndrés Iniesta Luján is a Spanish football player. He currently plays as a central midfielder for La Liga club FC Barcelona, and the Spanish national team....
scored a single goal from a pass given by
Cesc FabregasFrancesc "Cesc" Fàbregas i Soler is a Spanish footballer who plays as a central midfielder for La Liga club FC Barcelona.Fàbregas started his career as a trainee with Barcelona but was signed by Premier League side Arsenal in September 2003 at the age of 16...
, winning the World Cup for Spain for the first time in their history. In this physical match, Spain received 5 yellow cards, while "Oranje" received 9, as well as 1 red card, the highest total of cards for a World Cup final in history. Spain won the World Cup by only scoring 8 goals and conceding 2, which is the lowest by any World Cup winner in both cases. Also, they are the only team not to have conceded a goal in the last four games of the tournament. Spain are the only team that has won the World Cup title after losing its opening game. Spain are only the second team to win a World Cup outside their own continent, following
Brazil'sThe Brazil national football team represents Brazil in international men's football and is controlled by the Brazilian Football Confederation , the governing body for football in Brazil. They are a member of the International Federation of Association Football since 1923 and also a member of the...
wins in
SwedenThe 1958 FIFA World Cup, the sixth staging of the World Cup, was hosted by Sweden from 8 June to 29 June. The tournament was won by Brazil, who beat Sweden 5–2 in the final for their first title. To date, this marks the only occasion that a World Cup staged in Europe was not won by a European...
and
KoreaThe 2002 FIFA World Cup was the 17th staging of the FIFA World Cup, held in South Korea and Japan from 31 May to 30 June. It was also the first World Cup held in Asia, and the last in which the golden goal rule was implemented. Brazil won the tournament for a record fifth time, beating Germany 2–0...
, which also makes Spain the first European team to win the World Cup outside of Europe.
The 2010 FIFA World Cup squad won the FIFA fair play award while some of its players also won awards. Goalkeeper Iker Casillas won the golden glove for only conceding two goals during the tournament. David Villa won the bronze ball and silver boot, tied for top scorer of the tournament with a total of 5 goals and 1 assist.
Euro 2012
Spain were placed in Group I for
UEFA Euro 2012 qualifyingThe qualifying competition for UEFA Euro 2012 is a series of parallel association football competitions held over 2010 and 2011 to decide the qualifiers for UEFA Euro 2012, to be held in Poland and Ukraine...
tournament, the finals of which are to be hosted jointly by
PolandPoland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
and
UkraineUkraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It has an area of 603,628 km², making it the second largest contiguous country on the European continent, after Russia...
. A 6-0 victory over Liechtenstein on 6 September 2011 assured Spain a spot at the tournament. After their 3-1 victory over
ScotlandScotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
they completed their second consecutve qualifying campaign with a 100% winning record. As they won the previous tournament in 2008, they will be seeded in Pot 1 for the main draw, to be held on 2nd December 2011.
Group I
2014 FIFA World Cup
The preliminary draw was held and Spain was drawn in Group I of the European FIFA World Cup qualifying along with France, Belarus, Georgia and Finland.
Colours
Spain's traditional kit is a red jersey with yellow trim, accompanied by dark blue shorts and socks while their traditional away kit is fully white with a red and yellow trim. The colour of the socks altered throughout the 1990s from black to the same colour as the blue shorts. Spain's kits have been produced by manufacturers including Adidas (from 1982 until 1984), Le Coq Sportif (from 1984 until 1992) and Adidas once again (since 1992).
Their current home kit designed by a team led by Daniel Newlan at
AdidasAdidas AG is a German sports apparel manufacturer and parent company of the Adidas Group, which consists of the Reebok sportswear company, TaylorMade-Adidas golf company , and Rockport...
, is a lighter red than usual along with light blue shorts and red socks, similar to the older 2006 kit. A third kit is sometimes used and is usually blue with red and yellow trim. Rather than displaying the logo of the Spanish football federation, Spain's jersey traditionally features the
coat of arms of SpainThe current coat of arms of Spain, although it has its roots centuries ago, was approved by law in 1981, when the present established replaced the interim version which, in turn, replaced the official arms of Francoist Spain...
over the left breast. After winning the
2010 FIFA World CupThe 2010 FIFA World Cup was the 19th FIFA World Cup, the world championship for men's national association football teams. It took place in South Africa from 11 June to 11 July 2010...
, the World Cup winners badge was added to the right breast of the jersey and a golden star at the top of the Spanish coat of arms.
FIFA World Cup
FIFA World Cup recordThe FIFA World Cup, often simply the World Cup, is an international association football competition contested by the senior men's national teams of the members of Fédération Internationale de Football Association , the sport's global governing body...
|
FIFA World Cup Qualification record |
| Year |
Round |
Position |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 1930The 1930 FIFA World Cup was the inaugural FIFA World Cup, the world championship for men's national association football teams. It took place in Uruguay from 13 July to 30 July 1930...
|
Did Not Enter |
– |
– |
– |
– |
– |
– |
 1934The 1934 FIFA World Cup was the second FIFA World Cup, the world championship for men's national association football teams. It took place in Italy from 27 May to 10 June 1934....
|
Quarter-Final |
5th |
3 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
4 |
3 |
2 |
2 |
0 |
0 |
11 |
1 |
 1938The 1938 FIFA World Cup was the third staging of the World Cup, and was held in France from 4 June to 19 June. Italy retained the championship, beating Hungary 4–2 in the final.-Host selection:...
|
Banned |
– |
– |
– |
– |
– |
– |
 1950The 1950 FIFA World Cup, held in Brazil from 24 June to 16 July, was the fourth FIFA World Cup. It was the first World Cup since 1938, the planned 1942 and 1946 competitions having been canceled owing to World War II...
|
Fourth Place |
4th |
6 |
3 |
1 |
2 |
10 |
12 |
2 |
1 |
1 |
0 |
7 |
3 |
 1954The 1954 FIFA World Cup, the fifth staging of the FIFA World Cup, was held in Switzerland from 16 June to 4 July. Switzerland was chosen as hosts in July 1946. The tournament set a number of all-time records for goal-scoring, including the highest average goals scored per game...
|
Did Not Qualify |
3 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
6 |
4 |
 1958The 1958 FIFA World Cup, the sixth staging of the World Cup, was hosted by Sweden from 8 June to 29 June. The tournament was won by Brazil, who beat Sweden 5–2 in the final for their first title. To date, this marks the only occasion that a World Cup staged in Europe was not won by a European...
|
4 |
2 |
1 |
1 |
12 |
8 |
 1962The 1962 FIFA World Cup, the seventh staging of the World Cup, was held in Chile from 30 May to 17 June. It was won by Brazil, who retained the championship by beating Czechoslovakia 3–1 in the final...
|
Group Stage |
12th |
3 |
1 |
0 |
2 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
3 |
1 |
0 |
7 |
4 |
 1966The 1966 FIFA World Cup, the eighth staging of the World Cup, was held in England from 11 July to 30 July. England beat West Germany 4–2 in the final, winning the World Cup for the first time, so becoming the first host to win the tournament since Italy in 1934.-Host selection:England was chosen as...
|
Group Stage |
10th |
3 |
1 |
0 |
2 |
4 |
5 |
3 |
2 |
0 |
1 |
5 |
2 |
 1970The 1970 FIFA World Cup, the ninth staging of the World Cup, was held in Mexico, from 31 May to 21 June. The 1970 tournament was the first World Cup hosted in North America, and the first held outside South America and Europe. In a match-up of two-time World Cup champions, the final was won by...
|
Did Not Qualify |
6 |
2 |
2 |
2 |
10 |
6 |
 1974The 1974 FIFA World Cup, the tenth staging of the World Cup, was held in West Germany from 13 June to 7 July. The tournament marked the first time that the current trophy, the FIFA World Cup Trophy, created by the Italian sculptor Silvio Gazzaniga, was awarded...
|
5 |
2 |
2 |
1 |
8 |
6 |
 1978The 1978 FIFA World Cup, the 11th staging of the FIFA World Cup, was held in Argentina between 1 June and 25 June. The 1978 World Cup was won by Argentina who beat the Netherlands 3–1 after extra time in the final. This win was the first World Cup title for Argentina, who became the fifth...
|
Group Stage |
10th |
3 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
2 |
2 |
4 |
3 |
0 |
1 |
4 |
1 |
 1982The 1982 FIFA World Cup, the 12th FIFA World Cup, was held in Spain from 13 June to 11 July. The tournament was won by Italy, after defeating West Germany 3–1 in the final.-Host selection:...
|
Second Group Stage |
12th |
5 |
1 |
2 |
2 |
4 |
5 |
– |
– |
– |
– |
– |
– |
1986The 1986 FIFA World Cup, the 13th FIFA World Cup, was held in Mexico from 31 May to 29 June. The tournament was the second to feature a 24-team format. Colombia had been originally chosen to host the competition by FIFA but, largely due to economic reasons, was not able to do so and officially...
|
Quarter-Final |
7th |
5 |
3 |
1 |
1 |
11 |
4 |
6 |
4 |
0 |
2 |
9 |
8 |
 1990The 1990 FIFA World Cup was the 14th FIFA World Cup, the quadrennial international football world championship tournament. It was held from 8 June to 8 July 1990 in Italy, the second country to host the event twice. Teams representing 116 national football associations from all six populated...
|
Round of 16 |
10th |
4 |
2 |
1 |
1 |
6 |
4 |
8 |
6 |
1 |
1 |
20 |
3 |
 1994The 1994 FIFA World Cup, the 15th staging of the FIFA World Cup, was held in nine cities across the United States from June 17 to July 17, 1994. The United States was chosen as the host by FIFA on July 4, 1988...
|
Quarter-Final |
8th |
5 |
2 |
2 |
1 |
10 |
6 |
12 |
8 |
3 |
1 |
27 |
4 |
1998The 1998 FIFA World Cup, the 16th FIFA World Cup, was held in France from 10 June to 12 July 1998. France was chosen as host nation by FIFA on 2 July 1992. The tournament was won by France, who beat Brazil 3-0 in the final...
|
Group Stage |
17th |
3 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
8 |
4 |
10 |
8 |
2 |
0 |
26 |
6 |
  2002The 2002 FIFA World Cup was the 17th staging of the FIFA World Cup, held in South Korea and Japan from 31 May to 30 June. It was also the first World Cup held in Asia, and the last in which the golden goal rule was implemented. Brazil won the tournament for a record fifth time, beating Germany 2–0...
|
Quarter-Final |
5th |
5 |
3 |
2 |
0 |
10 |
5 |
8 |
6 |
2 |
0 |
21 |
4 |
 2006The 2006 FIFA World Cup was the 18th FIFA World Cup, the quadrennial international football world championship tournament. It was held from 9 June to 9 July 2006 in Germany, which won the right to host the event in July 2000. Teams representing 198 national football associations from all six...
|
Round of 16 |
9th |
4 |
3 |
0 |
1 |
9 |
4 |
12 |
6 |
6 |
0 |
25 |
5 |
 2010The 2010 FIFA World Cup was the 19th FIFA World Cup, the world championship for men's national association football teams. It took place in South Africa from 11 June to 11 July 2010...
|
Champions The 2010 FIFA World Cup Final was a football match that took place on 11 July 2010 at Soccer City in Johannesburg, South Africa, to determine the winner of the 2010 FIFA World Cup. Spain defeated the Netherlands 1–0 with a goal from Andrés Iniesta four minutes from the end of extra time...
|
1st |
7 |
6 |
0 |
1 |
8 |
2 |
10 |
10 |
0 |
0 |
28 |
5 |
 2014The 2014 FIFA World Cup will be the 20th FIFA World Cup, an international association football tournament that will take place in Brazil from 12 June to 13 July 2014....
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 2018The bidding process for the 2018 and 2022 FIFA World Cups was the process by which the locations for the 2018 and 2022 FIFA World Cups were selected. The process began officially in March 2009; eleven bids from thirteen countries were received, including one which was withdrawn and one that was...
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 2022The 2022 FIFA World Cup will be the 22nd FIFA World Cup, an international association football tournament that is scheduled to take place in 2022 in Qatar. The competition is scheduled to take place in June and July, although proposals have been made for a winter season. The tournament will involve...
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Total |
1 Title |
13/19 |
56 |
28 |
12 |
16 |
88 |
59 |
99 |
66 |
22 |
11 |
226 |
70 |
- *Denotes draws include knockout matches decided on penalty kicks.
- **Gold background colour indicates that the tournament was won.
- ***Red border color indicates tournament was held on home soil.
European Championship
UEFA European Championship recordThe UEFA European Football Championship is the main football competition of the men's national football teams governed by UEFA . Held every four years since 1960, in the even-numbered year between World Cup tournaments, it was originally called the UEFA European Nations Cup, changing to the current...
|
| Year |
Round |
Position |
GP |
W |
D* |
L |
GS |
GA |
| 1960 |
Withdrew |
 1964 |
Champions The 1964 European Nations' Cup Final was a football match played on 21 June 1964 to determine the winner of the 1964 European Nations' Cup. The match was contested by the 1960 winners, the Soviet Union, and the hosts, Spain, at the Santiago Bernabéu Stadium in Madrid. Spain won the match 2–1, with...
|
1st |
2 |
2 |
0 |
0 |
4 |
2 |
| 1968 |
Did Not Qualify |
 1972 |
 1976 |
| 1980 |
Group Stage |
7th |
3 |
0 |
1 |
2 |
2 |
4 |
| 1984 |
Runners-up The final of UEFA Euro 1984 was a football match played on 27 June 1984 at Parc des Princes in Paris, France to determine the winner of UEFA Euro 1984...
|
2nd |
5 |
1 |
3 |
1 |
4 |
5 |
| 1988 |
Group Stage |
6th |
3 |
1 |
0 |
2 |
3 |
5 |
| 1992 |
Did Not Qualify |
| 1996 |
Quarter Final |
6th |
4 |
1 |
3 |
0 |
4 |
3 |
 2000 |
Quarter Final |
5th |
4 |
2 |
0 |
2 |
7 |
7 |
 2004 |
Group Stage |
10th |
3 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
2 |
2 |
 2008 |
ChampionsThe UEFA Euro 2008 Final was a football match that took place on 29 June 2008 at the Ernst Happel Stadion in Vienna, Austria, to determine the winner of the UEFA Euro 2008. Spain defeated Germany 1–0 with a goal from Fernando Torres...
|
1st |
6 |
5 |
1 |
0 |
12 |
3 |
  2012 |
Qualified |
| 2016 The 2016 UEFA European Football Championship, commonly referred to as Euro 2016, will be the 15th European Championship for national football teams sanctioned by UEFA. It will be held in the summer of 2016. The host nation was announced to be France on 28 May 2010...
|
To Be Determined |
| Total |
Champions |
9/14 |
30 |
13 |
9 |
8 |
38 |
31 |
| # | Date | Venue | Opponent | Result | Win/
Loss/
Draw | Goalscorer(s) | Captain | Competition |
| 2012 |
| 1 |
February 29, 2012 |
Estadio Mestalla, SpainSpain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
|
|
– |
|
|
|
Friendly An exhibition game is a sporting event in which there is no competitive value of any significant kind to any competitor regardless of the outcome of the competition...
|
| 2 |
June 1, 2012 |
Stadium to be announced TBD is an abbreviation often meaning in ordinary writing "to be discussed" "to be done", "to be defined", "to be decided", "to be determined", etc...
, SpainSpain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
|
|
– |
|
|
|
Friendly An exhibition game is a sporting event in which there is no competitive value of any significant kind to any competitor regardless of the outcome of the competition...
|
| 3 |
June 5, 2012 |
Stadium to be announced TBD is an abbreviation often meaning in ordinary writing "to be discussed" "to be done", "to be defined", "to be decided", "to be determined", etc...
, SpainSpain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
|
|
– |
|
|
|
Friendly An exhibition game is a sporting event in which there is no competitive value of any significant kind to any competitor regardless of the outcome of the competition...
|
| 4 |
June, 2012 |
TBA, PolandPoland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
or UkraineUkraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It has an area of 603,628 km², making it the second largest contiguous country on the European continent, after Russia...
|
Dec.2 |
– |
|
|
|
UEFA Euro 2012 |
| 5 |
June, 2012 |
TBA, PolandPoland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
or UkraineUkraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It has an area of 603,628 km², making it the second largest contiguous country on the European continent, after Russia...
|
Dec.2 |
– |
|
|
|
UEFA Euro 2012 |
| 6 |
June, 2012 |
TBA, PolandPoland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
or UkraineUkraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It has an area of 603,628 km², making it the second largest contiguous country on the European continent, after Russia...
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UEFA Euro 2012 |
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August, 2012 |
Stadium to be announced TBD is an abbreviation often meaning in ordinary writing "to be discussed" "to be done", "to be defined", "to be decided", "to be determined", etc...
, TBDTBD is an abbreviation often meaning in ordinary writing "to be discussed" "to be done", "to be defined", "to be decided", "to be determined", etc...
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Friendly An exhibition game is a sporting event in which there is no competitive value of any significant kind to any competitor regardless of the outcome of the competition...
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September 11, 2012 |
Boris PaichadzeThe Boris Paichadze National Stadium , also known as the Dinamo Stadium, is a football stadium in Tbilisi, Georgia. It is the home stadium of FC Dinamo Tbilisi. The stadium was built in 1976 by Georgian architect Gia Kurdiani. Before then Dinamo's stadium was a smaller ground with a maximum...
, GeorgiaGeorgia is a sovereign state in the Caucasus region of Eurasia. Located at the crossroads of Western Asia and Eastern Europe, it is bounded to the west by the Black Sea, to the north by Russia, to the southwest by Turkey, to the south by Armenia, and to the southeast by Azerbaijan. The capital of...
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2014 W.C. The 2014 FIFA World Cup qualification UEFA Group I is a UEFA qualifying group for the 2014 FIFA World Cup. The group comprises 2010 FIFA World Cup winners Spain, France, Belarus, Georgia and Finland....
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October 12, 2012 |
Dynama Stadium, BelarusBelarus , officially the Republic of Belarus, is a landlocked country in Eastern Europe, bordered clockwise by Russia to the northeast, Ukraine to the south, Poland to the west, and Lithuania and Latvia to the northwest. Its capital is Minsk; other major cities include Brest, Grodno , Gomel ,...
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2014 W.C. The 2014 FIFA World Cup qualification UEFA Group I is a UEFA qualifying group for the 2014 FIFA World Cup. The group comprises 2010 FIFA World Cup winners Spain, France, Belarus, Georgia and Finland....
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October 16, 2012 |
Santiago BernabéuThe Estadio Santiago Bernabéu is an all-seater football stadium in Madrid, Spain. It was inaugurated on 14 December 1947 and is owned by Real Madrid Club de Fútbol. It has a current capacity of 85,454 spectators....
, SpainSpain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
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2014 W.C. The 2014 FIFA World Cup qualification UEFA Group I is a UEFA qualifying group for the 2014 FIFA World Cup. The group comprises 2010 FIFA World Cup winners Spain, France, Belarus, Georgia and Finland....
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March 22, 2013 |
Stadium to be announced TBD is an abbreviation often meaning in ordinary writing "to be discussed" "to be done", "to be defined", "to be decided", "to be determined", etc...
, SpainSpain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
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2014 W.C. The 2014 FIFA World Cup qualification UEFA Group I is a UEFA qualifying group for the 2014 FIFA World Cup. The group comprises 2010 FIFA World Cup winners Spain, France, Belarus, Georgia and Finland....
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March 26, 2013 |
Stade de FranceThe Stade de France is the national stadium of France, situated just north of Paris in the commune of Saint-Denis. It has an all-seater capacity of 80,000, making it the fifth largest stadium in Europe, and is used by both the France national football team and French rugby union team for...
, FranceThe French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
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2014 W.C. The 2014 FIFA World Cup qualification UEFA Group I is a UEFA qualifying group for the 2014 FIFA World Cup. The group comprises 2010 FIFA World Cup winners Spain, France, Belarus, Georgia and Finland....
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June, 2013 |
TBA, BrazilBrazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
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2013 FIFA Confederations Cup The 2013 FIFA Confederations Cup will be held in Brazil in 2013, as a prelude to the 2014 FIFA World Cup. The tournament is expected to be held from 15–30 June 2013...
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June, 2013 |
TBD TBD is an abbreviation often meaning in ordinary writing "to be discussed" "to be done", "to be defined", "to be decided", "to be determined", etc...
, BrazilBrazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
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2013 FIFA Confederations Cup The 2013 FIFA Confederations Cup will be held in Brazil in 2013, as a prelude to the 2014 FIFA World Cup. The tournament is expected to be held from 15–30 June 2013...
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June, 2013 |
TBD TBD is an abbreviation often meaning in ordinary writing "to be discussed" "to be done", "to be defined", "to be decided", "to be determined", etc...
, BrazilBrazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
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2013 FIFA Confederations Cup The 2013 FIFA Confederations Cup will be held in Brazil in 2013, as a prelude to the 2014 FIFA World Cup. The tournament is expected to be held from 15–30 June 2013...
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September 6, 2013 |
Helsinki Olympic StadiumThe Helsinki Olympic Stadium , located in the Töölö district about from the center of the Finnish capital Helsinki, is the largest stadium in the country, nowadays mainly used for hosting sports events and big concerts. The stadium is best known for being the center of activities in the 1952...
, FinlandFinland , officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of Northern Europe. It is bordered by Sweden in the west, Norway in the north and Russia in the east, while Estonia lies to its south across the Gulf of Finland.Around 5.4 million people reside...
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2014 W.C. The 2014 FIFA World Cup qualification UEFA Group I is a UEFA qualifying group for the 2014 FIFA World Cup. The group comprises 2010 FIFA World Cup winners Spain, France, Belarus, Georgia and Finland....
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October 11, 2013 |
Stadium to be announced TBD is an abbreviation often meaning in ordinary writing "to be discussed" "to be done", "to be defined", "to be decided", "to be determined", etc...
, SpainSpain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
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2014 W.C. The 2014 FIFA World Cup qualification UEFA Group I is a UEFA qualifying group for the 2014 FIFA World Cup. The group comprises 2010 FIFA World Cup winners Spain, France, Belarus, Georgia and Finland....
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October 15, 2013 |
Stadium to be announced TBD is an abbreviation often meaning in ordinary writing "to be discussed" "to be done", "to be defined", "to be decided", "to be determined", etc...
, SpainSpain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
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2014 W.C. The 2014 FIFA World Cup qualification UEFA Group I is a UEFA qualifying group for the 2014 FIFA World Cup. The group comprises 2010 FIFA World Cup winners Spain, France, Belarus, Georgia and Finland....
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| 2014 |
Most consecutive games undefeated: 35 (2007–2009) (shared with between 1993–1996)
The following players have been called up for the team in the last twelve months.
Spain does not have a national stadium as such, though major qualifying matches are usually played at the Estadio Santiago Bernabéu in
. Other large grounds used include the Estadio Vicente Calderón, also in Madrid, and the
in Valencia. Spain are unbeaten in competitive matches played at the Calderón. Some international friendlies are played in these larger stadia, as well as the
after the visitors refused to play in Madrid following racist abuse of their black and mixed-race players and their national anthem at the Bernabéu in a 2004 friendly.
Other friendly matches, as well as qualifying fixtures against less glamorous opponents are played in provincial stadia. Ground recently used include the Riazor in La Coruña, the
. Occasionally, matches are played off mainland Spain; their final UEFA Euro 2008 qualifying match against
Some Spanish groups or singers have made songs to encourage the national football team for a competition, usually for