The Spain National Football Team represents Spain in international men’s football competitions and is affiliated with the Royal Spanish Football Federation.
Team History
The Spanish Football Federation was founded in 1909. In 1920, the Spanish Football Federation established its first national team. In 1934, Spain participated in the FIFA World Cup for the first time. At the 1950 Brazil World Cup, Spain finished in 4th place. In the final of the 1964 UEFA European Championship, Spain defeated the Soviet Union 2-1 to win the first major trophy in its history. After winning the European Championship, Spain fell into a slump and failed to win any world or continental titles for 44 years. At the 2008 UEFA European Championship, Spain defeated Germany 1-0 in the final to claim its first major title in 44 years.
Nowadays
At the 2010 FIFA World Cup, Spain lost 0-1 to Switzerland in their first match but then defeated Honduras 2-0 and Chile 2-1 to advance from the group stage. In the knockout stage, Spain beat Portugal and Paraguay 1-0 respectively. In the semi-finals, Spain defeated Germany 1-0. In the final, Spain beat the Netherlands 1-0 with Andrés Iniesta’s extra-time goal, winning the World Cup for the first time. At the 2012 UEFA European Championship, Spain advanced as group winners and defeated Italy 4-0 to successfully defend their European Championship title. At the 2014 Brazil World Cup, Spain suffered a heavy defeat and was eliminated in the group stage. Spain was eliminated in the round of 16 at both the 2016 France European Championship and the 2018 Russia World Cup. At the 2020 UEFA European Championship, Spain reached the semi-finals. At the 2022 Qatar World Cup, Spain was eliminated in the round of 16. In June 2023, Spain defeated Croatia to win the 2022-23 UEFA Nations League title.
On July 10, 2024, in the semi-finals of the 2024 UEFA European Championship, Spain defeated France 2-1. On July 15, 2024, Spain beat England 2-1 to win their 4th European Championship title.
