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Can Spain Go on to Win the World Cup in 2026?
The thought on everyone’s minds while watching the Spanish players celebrating their conquest of the Euro 2024: this new generation came out of nowhere but is here to stay. The new reigning team in Europe is the perfect mix of young superstars and experienced football machines and has everything to keep winning in the upcoming years.
At the moment, and things might change in the meantime, no natural competitor is yet to be seen. None of the traditionally strongest European national teams is going through a great moment: neither Germany, France, England, Italy, nor even Portugal.
As of today, foreseeing the World Cup 2026, and between the two non-European teams capable of stopping the Spanish, Brazil, and Argentina, only the Albiceleste seems up to the task of stopping Luis de la Fonte’s team… The bets are already being made in the best online casinos, such as the ones Slotozilla recommends.
Spain’s Current Team Analysis
Spain has won the Euro 2024 with total merit and the team was recognized as the rightful winner of the competition by the majority of experts and fans. La Roja has presented itself with a hybrid football model, able to adapt to any circumstances. Whatever the game required, the squad was capable of providing. Ball possession? No problem. Verticality? We have that. Counter-attack? Why not?
With the end of the golden generation of Spanish football that won everything from 2008 to 2012, the identity of the national team has definitely changed. Without completely abandoning the tiki-taka and the easiness to contemporize as long as it is needed to kill the prey, they now have implemented a new weapon: practicality. Giving the game what it demands, whether that might be possession and patience or pure speed and verticality.
Key Players and Rising Stars
After losing so many references, La Roja was forced to rebuild itself with new key players and rising stars. Rodri, the Manchester City midfielder, is probably the only superstar of the team. Carvajal, Morata, Nacho Hernández, and Laporta are the other experienced leaders of a squad that was built from scratch.
As to the rising stars, all eyes are on Lamine Yamal, Barcelona’s winger, who turned 17 during the tournament and became the revelation of the Euro 2024. But also Nico Williams, the Athletic Bilbao newest idol, was absolutely crucial for Spain’s title, and Mikel Merino, Mikel Oyarzabal, and Le Normand caught the eye of the football universe.
Strengths and Weaknesses of the Squad
The Spanish midfield is seen as the strongest part of the team. Under the command of Rodri, the perfect mix of tactical intelligence, athletic strength, and technical quality, Fabián Ruiz spreads his magic and tears down the opponent’s defensive blocks with his imaginative left foot, and Dani Olmo or Pedri González, one at the time, are responsible for bringing intensity and rhythm up when needed.
On the contrary, the striker is still seen as the weakest link of the team. Morata, despite all the effort he puts in helping create spaces, simply does not convince both the experts and the fans. Sure, he is a very helpful striker in the construction process, but there is still something missing in the finishing department. After all, that’s his main job.
Comparison with Other Top Contenders
In Euro 2024, Spain got on the “bad side” of the tournament bracket. But not even bad luck was enough to deter the team from beating, on the way to the final, France and Germany, the main contenders, alongside Spain itself, to win the competition.
More than that, they have beaten Croatia, the 2018 World Cup runner-up, and Italy, the defending champions, in the group stage, as well as England, the 2020 Euro runner-up, three possible contenders to the title. Spain is clearly, for now, one step ahead of all European teams.
With Brazil facing internal problems and very far from its peak form and even coaching stability, Argentina, the American and World champion, looks like the biggest threat to a future Spanish World Cup title. But Argentina too is living a generational transition, and no one knows how the Albiceleste is going to present itself in 2026.
So, to answer the title of this article, yes, it seems, as of today, the most likely. But, as always, we are just too far away from 2026 to claim anything. And, in these next two years, anything can happen. Even Spain was not at its best when Luis de la Fuente took over in 2023, just over a year before the tournament.
Historical Performance Against Key Opponents
If we take a look at the historical record of Spain against its main opponents, it is hard to reach a conclusion, as they are very even. But the thing is that, in most recent years, Spain has been completely dominating. The period between 2008 and 2012 was a time of pure dominance of the Spanish team.
As an example, we have to go back to 2014 to find the last time Germany has beaten Spain. And it was in a friendly game… Another one: in the last 10 games between Spain and France, Les Bleus only won 3, with 6 wins for La Roja. The historical performance factor seems to be on the Spanish side.
Strategies and Tactics for Success
More than tactics, the secret to the countries’ football success is actually… planning. No, nothing fancy, no 4-3-3, no 4-2-3-1, no tactics. Just pure philosophy. And the Real Federación Española de Fútbol is the responsible for implementing a football model and idea that goes all the way from the youngest age levels to the senior national team.
All national squad football players, from U15 to the main squad, play under the same tactical and technical principles of possession, positioning, pressing, and passing, while never forgetting individual freedom to create and progress, always within the tactical structure of the team.
The various generations of footballers get to the first team after almost a decade of playing with the same teammates, conquering trophies, and growing together under the same football principles. Facing the main team’s performance as a long-term project is the key to success in Spanish football.
Importance of Coaching and Management
The national coach has to take credit for this. Luis de la Fuente is an experienced European champion. He is the only manager to win the Euro at the U19 and U21 age levels and the main team. Most of the players he chose for the competition have played together under his command for the last 10 years and can do it with their eyes shut.
His calm, friendly, but firm leadership, his proximity with the players, and his ability to read the game and make the right substitutions are also key factors to being highly appreciated by the Spanish dressing room. He was simply the right man for this job.
Conclusion
In conclusion, right now, and we insist on underlining the time element, there seems to be no national team better than the Spanish. No team appears to be up to the task of stopping La Roja from adding the World Cup title to the Euro once again, just like in 2008 and 2010. Except for Argentina, not one of the traditional rivals appears to be strong enough to do it.
Nonetheless, it is too soon and no one really knows what will happen until then. We are two years away from the 2026 World Cup, enough time for France, Germany, Brazil, or even other national teams to get back on track and challenge Spain. Argentina, for now, is the only team theoretically capable of matching up the Spaniards. We are watching.