How did Spain become the most dominant country of the new era in football?

Spain has added another link to its chain of success in recent years by winning the World Cup in men's football once again. In the final played in New Jersey, Ferran Torres scored the winning goal for Spain, which defeated Argentina 1-0. The team, which became European champions two years ago, completed its European title with a World Cup victory, just as it did in the 2008-2010 period.

However, Spain's rise in football is not limited to the trophies of the senior men's national team. The country has achieved remarkable consistency in women's football and at the youth national team level during the same period. Winning a total of 16 world and European championships in the last five years, from the under-17 categories to the senior level, transforms this picture into a football ecosystem much broader than a single tournament success.

THE CONSISTENCY BEHIND THE TROPHIES

The Spanish men's national team reached three major achievements in a short time by winning the 2023 Nations League, the 2024 European Championship, and the 2026 World Cup. The under-23 team's 2024 Olympic gold medal and the under-19 men's team's 2026 European championship also became parts of the same chain.

In women's football, the picture is even broader. The Spanish women's national team brought a historic victory to the country by defeating England in the 2023 Women's World Cup final. Thus, Spain became the first country to win the World Cup in both men's and women's football. The women's team also secured Nations League titles in 2024 and 2025.

The successes in the young women's teams are also remarkable: the Under-20 World Cup, the Under-17 World Cup and European championship, and the consecutive European championships in the under-19 category show that Spain is preparing strong teams not only for today but also for the coming years.

At the center of this success, the role of Luis de la Fuente, who was appointed in December 2022, stands out. This decision, taken after Luis Enrique following Spain's elimination by Morocco in the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, was initially seen as risky. De la Fuente had not managed a major club before; however, he had worked in Spain's youth national teams for many years and was well-acquainted with the player pool and the federation's football philosophy.

Spanish journalist Guillem Balague describes this situation as a "perfect storm," emphasizing that everyone believes in the work being done and that the football culture is progressing around a specific plan. According to Balague, although the choice of De la Fuente seemed "very risky," selecting someone who knew the playing style and the system was decisive for Spain.

YOUNG TALENTS AND THE TRANSFORMATION IN WOMEN'S FOOTBALL

Former Spanish national team player Juan Mata also states that De la Fuente's advantage is that he knows the players from their youth development periods. Mata's assessment that "This is not just the team of today, but also of the future" summarizes Spain's squad structure. The fact that young players like Lamine Yamal and Pau Cubarsi took the field in the World Cup final was among the most visible examples of this continuity.

While Yamal became one of the youngest players to play in a World Cup final after Pele and Giuseppe Bergomi, he also brought a separate record to Spain along with Cubarsi: Spain became the first team to take the field in a World Cup final with two under-20 players.

The transformation in women's football is also one of the fundamental elements of the chain of success. Former footballer and journalist Maria Garrido explains that conditions for female players were quite limited years ago, and that significant development has been achieved recently with youth categories, facilities, and academy structuring. According to Garrido, this change has increased not only the game on the pitch but also the respect for women's football in Spain.

The fact that Spain has not tasted defeat in its last 38 international matches, combined with the consecutive trophies in men's and women's football, has placed the country in a special position in European and world football. While former England goalkeeper Joe Hart says that no one in the world can come close to Spain's style of play, Thierry Henry also states that the system being implemented deserves credit.

The real question for Spain is no longer how a single trophy is won, but how long this winning habit can be sustained. The current picture shows that the system extending from the youth academy to the senior team will make the country one of the natural favorites in tournaments for years to come.