Spain National Football Team

It is governed by the Royal Spanish Football Federation, the governing body for football in Spain.

Spain

Nickname(s)	La Roja (The Red One) La Furia Roja (The Red Fury)
Association	Real Federación Española de Fútbol (RFEF)
Confederation	UEFA (Europe)
Head coach	Luis de la Fuente
Captain	Álvaro Morata
Most caps	Sergio Ramos (180)
Top scorer	David Villa (59)
Home stadium	Various
FIFA code	ESP
First colours Second colours
FIFA ranking
Current	8 (4 April 2024)
Highest	1 (July 2008 – June 2009, October 2009 – March 2010, July 2010 – July 2011, October 2011 – July 2014)
Lowest	25 (March 1998)
First international
Spain 1–0 Denmark  (Antwerp, Belgium; 28 August 1920)
Biggest win
Spain 13–0 Bulgaria  (Madrid, Spain; 22 August 1933)
Biggest defeat
Italy 7–1 Spain  (Amsterdam, Netherlands; 4 June 1928)  England 7–1 Spain  (London, England (9 December 1931)
World Cup
Appearances	16 (first in 1934)
Best result	Champions (2010)
European Championship
Appearances	12 (first in 1964)
Best result	Champions (1964, 2008, 2012)
Nations League Finals
Appearances	2 (first in 2021)
Best result	Champions (2023)
FIFA Confederations Cup
Appearances	2 (first in 2009)
Best result	Runners-up (2013)
Medal record Men's football FIFA World Cup 2010 South Africa Team UEFA European Championship 1964 Spain Team 2008 Austria–Switzerland Team 2012 Poland–Ukraine Team 1984 France Team 2020 Europe (s.f.) Team UEFA Nations League 2023 Netherlands Team 2021 Italy Team FIFA Confederations Cup 2009 South Africa Team 2013 Brazil Team Olympic Games 1920 Antwerp Team

Spain is one of eight national teams to have been crowned world champions and have participated in a total of 16 of 22 FIFA World Cups, also qualifying consistently since 1978. Spain have won three continental titles during their appearances of 11 out of 16 UEFA European Championships. It also won the 2022–23 edition of the UEFA Nations League, becoming the second national team to win three major titles (World Cup, Euro and Nations League) after France.

Spain's achievements from 2008 to 2012 have led many experts and commentators to consider this era's Spain squads one of the best ever teams in football history. During this period, Spain became the only national team to win three consecutive major titles, including two back-to-back European Championships in 2008 and 2012, while becoming the first European team to win a World Cup held outside of Europe in 2010. From 2008 to 2013, Spain won the FIFA Team of the Year, the second-most of any nation, behind only Brazil. From the start of 2007 to the 2009 FIFA Confederations Cup, Spain achieved 35 consecutive undefeated matches, a feat which they shared with Brazil, and a sport record at the time. Spain is one of only two nations to have won both the FIFA World Cup and the FIFA Women's World Cup (the other being Germany).

 

Spain has been a member of FIFA since its founding in 1904, even though the Spanish Football Federation was first established in 1909. The first Spain national football team was constituted in 1920, with the main objective of finding a team that would represent Spain at the 1920 Summer Olympics held in Belgium in that same year. Spain made their debut at the tournament on 28 August 1920 against Denmark, silver medalists at the last two Olympic tournaments. Spain managed to win that match by a scoreline of 1–0, eventually finishing with the silver medal. Spain qualified for their first FIFA World Cup in 1934, defeating Brazil in their first game and losing in a replay to the hosts and eventual champions Italy in the quarter-finals. The Spanish Civil War and World War II prevented Spain from playing any competitive matches between the 1934 World Cup and the 1950 edition's qualifiers. At the 1950 finals in Brazil, they topped their group to progress to the finals round, then finished in fourth place. Until 2010, this had been Spain's highest finish in a FIFA World Cup finals.

Spain won its first major international title when it hosted the 1964 European Nations' Cup held in Spain, defeating the Soviet Union 2–1 in the finals at the Santiago Bernabéu Stadium. The victory would stand as Spain's lone major title for 44 years. Spain was selected as host of the 1982 FIFA World Cup, reaching the second round and four years later they reached the quarter-finals before a penalty shootout defeat to Belgium. Also at UEFA Euro 1984, they lost the final against France. Spain reached the quarter-finals of the 1994 World Cup. The match became controversial when Italian defender Mauro Tassotti struck Luis Enrique with his elbow inside Spain's penalty area, causing Luis Enrique to bleed profusely from his nose and mouth, but the foul was not noticed nor sanctioned by referee Sándor Puhl. Had the official acknowledged the foul, Spain would have merited a penalty kick. In the 2002 World Cup, Spain won its three group play matches, then defeated the Republic of Ireland on penalties in the second round. They faced co-hosts South Korea in the quarter-finals, losing in a shootout after having two goals controversially called back for alleged infractions during regular and extra time.

 

At UEFA Euro 2008, Spain won all their games in Group D. Italy were the opponents in the quarter-finals match, which Spain won 4–2 on penalties. They then met Russia again in the semi-finals, beating them 3–0. In the final, Spain defeated Germany 1–0, with Fernando Torres scoring the only goal of the game. This was Spain's first major title since the 1964 European Championship. Xavi was awarded the player of the tournament. The following year the side finished third at the 2009 FIFA Confederations Cup breaking their 35-match unbeaten streak that began in November 2006 after a loss to the United States. In the 2010 World Cup, Spain advanced to the final for the first time ever by defeating Germany 1–0. In the decisive match against the Netherlands, Andrés Iniesta scored the match's only goal, coming in extra time. Spain became the third team to win a World Cup outside their own continent, and the first European team to do so. Goalkeeper Iker Casillas won the golden glove for only conceding two goals during the tournament, while David Villa won the bronze ball and silver boot, tied for top scorer of the tournament. Spain qualified top of Group I in qualification for UEFA Euro 2012 with a perfect 100% record. They became the first team to retain the European Championship, winning the final 4–0 against Italy, while Fernando Torres won the Golden Boot for top scorer of the tournament.

Spain advanced to the final of the 2013 FIFA Confederations Cup, losing to hosts Brazil, and the following year they were eliminated from the group stage of the 2014 World Cup. At Euro 2016 and the 2018 World Cup, the side reached the last 16 in both tournaments, losing to Italy 2–0 and Russia 3–2 on penalties after a 1–1 draw. In the UEFA Euro 2020, held in 2021 after COVID-19 pandemic caused delays, Spain made a breakthrough, reaching the last four of a major tournament for the first time since 2012, before losing to eventual champions Italy 4–2 on penalties after a 1–1 draw. The team finished the tournament with two wins and four draws (including two penalty shootouts). The same year they managed to reach the 2021 UEFA Nations League final, losing against France. In the 2022 World Cup, Spain finished second in their group, then in the round of 16, they lost to Morocco 3–0 on penalties after a 0–0 draw, to be the third consecutive elimination from a major tournament in penalty shootouts.

Spain will host the FIFA World Cup for the second time in 2030. As co-host alongside Morocco and Portugal, they have automatically qualified for the tournament.

Nicknames

Spain's team is commonly known by fans as "La Furia Roja", meaning the Red Fury in Spanish. recalling the "Sack of Antwerp" – an episode in the military history of Spain. However, there are another unofficial nicknames to refer to the national team of Spain.

The other most common nickname, known by fans, is "Los Toros" (Fighting Bulls), since Spanish Fighting Bull is one of Spain's famous national treasures and often used to define Spanish culture, and also often depicted by Spanish supporters alike. The Spain football team is sometimes referred as the Bulls due to this cultural heritage.

The Spanish team also received other nicknames, mostly "Toreros" or "Matador" (Bullfighters in Spanish), to describe its passionate and romantic style of football playing.

Style of play

 

 

 

Between 2008 and 2012, the team played a style of football dubbed 'tiki-taka', a systems approach to football founded upon the ideal of team unity and a comprehensive understanding in the geometry of space on a football field.

Tiki-taka has been variously described as "a style of play based on making your way to the back of the net through short passing and movement", a "short passing style in which the ball is worked carefully through various channels", and a "nonsensical phrase that has come to mean short passing, patience and possession above all else". The style involves roaming movement and positional interchange amongst midfielders, moving the ball in intricate patterns, and sharp, one or two-touch passing. Tiki-taka is "both defensive and offensive in equal measure" – the team is always in possession, so doesn't need to switch between defending and attacking. Commentators have contrasted tiki-taka with "Route One physicality" and with the higher-tempo passing of Barcelona and Arsène Wenger's 2007–08 Arsenal side, which employed Cesc Fàbregas as the only channel between defence and attack. Tiki-taka is associated with flair, creativity, and touch, but can also be taken to a "slow, directionless extreme" that sacrifices effectiveness for aesthetics.

Tiki-taka was successfully employed by Spain to win Euro 2008, the 2010 World Cup and Euro 2012. The 2008–12 teams are regarded as being among the greatest of international teams in football history.

They have the Barcelona "carousel" of Xavi and Andrés Iniesta augmented by Real Madrid's Xabi Alonso in midfield.

— Phil McNulty of the BBC on the midfield players at the heart of Spain's tiki-taka passing style of play.

Sid Lowe identifies Luis Aragonés' tempering of tiki-taka with pragmatism as a key factor in Spain's success in Euro 2008. Aragonés used tiki-taka to "protect a defense that appeared suspect [...], maintain possession and dominate games" without taking the style to "evangelical extremes". None of Spain's first six goals in the tournament came from tiki-taka: five came from direct breaks and one from a set play. For Lowe, Spain's success in the 2010 World Cup was evidence of the meeting of two traditions in Spanish football: the "powerful, aggressive, direct" style that earned the silver medal-winning 1920 Antwerp Olympic team the nickname La Furia Roja ("The Red Fury") and the tiki-taka style of the contemporary Spain's team, which focused on a collective, short-passing, technical and possession-based game.

Analyzing Spain's semi-final victory over Germany at the 2010 World Cup, Raphael Honigstein described Spain's tiki-taka style as "the most difficult version of football possible: an uncompromising passing game, coupled with intense, high pressing". For Honigstein, tiki-taka is "a significant upgrade" of the Netherlands' Total Football because it relies on ball movement rather than players switching position. Tiki-taka allowed Spain to "control both the ball and the opponent".

We have the same idea as each other. Keep the ball, create movement around and off the ball, get in the spaces to cause danger.

— Xabi Alonso (Spanish midfielder).

Kits and crest

 

Wiki Commons has media related to Spain national football team kits.

Spain's kit is traditionally a red jersey with yellow trim, dark blue shorts, and black socks, whilst their current away kit is all predominantly white. The colour of the socks altered throughout the 1990s from black to the same blue colour as the shorts, matching either the blue of the shorts or the red of the shirt until the mid-2010s when they returned to their traditional black. Spain's kits have been produced by manufacturers including Adidas (from 1981 until 1983), Le Coq Sportif (from 1984 until 1990) and Adidas once again (since 1991). Rather than displaying the logo of the Spanish Football Federation, Spain's jersey traditionally features the country's coat of arms over the left side. After winning the 2010 World Cup, the World Cup winners badge was added to the right side of the jersey and a golden star at the top of Spain's coat of arms.

Kit suppliers

Kit supplier	Period	Notes
None	1920–1935
/  Deportes Cóndor	1935–1966 1967–1981
Umbro	1966
/  Adidas	1981–1983 1991–present	Current until 2030
Le Coq Sportif	1984–1990

Home stadium

Spain does not have a designated national stadium. The capital city of Madrid (Bernabéu and Metropolitano), Seville (Pizjuán, La Cartuja and Villamarín), Valencia (Mestalla and Orriols) and Barcelona (Camp Nou and Montjuïc), are the four Spanish cities that have hosted more than 15 national team matches, while also being home to the largest stadiums in the country.

Other friendly matches, as well as qualifying fixtures against smaller opponents, are played in provincial stadia. The 2018 FIFA World Cup qualification campaign included matches at the Reino de León in León, Los Cármenes in Granada, El Molinón in Gijón, and the Rico Pérez in Alicante.

Media coverage

Spain's UEFA European Qualifiers and UEFA Nations League matches, and all friendly games from 2018 until 2022, will be televised nationwide by La 1, flagship television channel of the public broadcaster TVE.

Spain has four main rivalries with other top footballing nations.

• Their rivalry with Italy, sometimes referred to as the Mediterranean Derby, contested since 1920. Although the two nations are not immediate geographical neighbours, their rivalry at international level is enhanced by the strong performances of the representative clubs in UEFA competitions, in which they are among the leading associations and have each enjoyed spells of dominance. Since the quarter-finals match between the two countries at Euro 2008, the rivalry has renewed, with its most notable match between the two sides being in the UEFA Euro 2012 final, which Spain won 4–0.
• Their rivalry with Portugal, also known as the Iberian Derby, is one of the oldest football rivalries at a national level. It began on 18 December 1921, when Portugal lost 3–1 to Spain at Madrid in their first ever international friendly game. Portugal lost their first matches, with their first draw (2–2) only coming in 1926. Portugal's first win came much later (4–1) in 1947. Both belong to the strongest football nations of the world, and have met a total of 39 times (of which 9 matches were competitive) which resulted in 16 victories for Spain, 17 draws and 6 victories for Portugal.
• Their rivalry with France, also another major football force, is also one of the oldest at a national level. Spain and France have met a total of 36 times, began with a 4–0 triumph for Spain in a friendly in Bordeaux on 30 April 1922, though their first competitive meeting came in the UEFA Euro 1984 final, which France won to take over its first major international honours. Spain has the advantage in head-to-head competition with 16 wins, 13 losses and 7 draws, though France has gotten more international glories than Spain.
• Their rivalry with Germany, is also one of the oldest at a national level. Germany and Spain have faced each other 26 times, started with a 2–1 friendly victory for Spain on 12 May 1935 in Cologne. However, Spain only met a German side for the first time in any competitive fixture in 1966, as part of the 1966 FIFA World Cup, where West Germany (competing separately form East Germany at the time) came back to win 2–1. However, since the reunification of Germany in 1990, Spain has remained undefeated in competitive fixtures against Germany, including the famous 6–0 rout in the 2020–21 UEFA Nations League A. Total head-to-head result however is slightly favourable for Germany with 9 wins, 9 draws compared to 8 wins by Spain.

The following is a list of match results in the last 12 months, as well as any future matches that have been scheduled.

  Win   Draw   Loss   Fixture

2023

Spain   v   Italy

15 June 2023 2022–23 UEFA Nations League SF	Spain	2–1	Italy	Enschede, Netherlands
20:45 CEST (UTC+02:00)	Pino   3' Joselu   88'	Report	Immobile   11' (pen.)	Stadium: De Grolsch Veste Attendance: 24,558 Referee: Slavko Vinčić (Slovenia)

Croatia   v   Spain

18 June 2023 2022–23 UEFA Nations League F	Croatia	0–0 (a.e.t.) (4–5 p)	Spain	Rotterdam, Netherlands
20:45 CEST (UTC+02:00)		Report		Stadium: De Kuip Attendance: 41,110 Referee: Felix Zwayer (Germany)
	Penalties
	Vlašić   Brozović   Modrić   Majer   Perišić   Petković		Joselu   Rodri   Merino   Asensio   Laporte   Carvajal
Note: Spain won on penalties 5–4

Georgia   v   Spain

8 September 2023 Euro 2024 Q	Georgia	1–7	Spain	Tbilisi, Georgia
18:00 CEST (UTC+02:00)	Chakvetadze   49'	Report	Morata   22', 40', 66' Kvirkvelia   28' (o.g.) Olmo   38' Williams   68' Yamal   74'	Stadium: Boris Paichadze Dinamo Arena Attendance: 51,694 Referee: Daniel Siebert (Germany)

Spain   v   Cyprus

12 September 2023 Euro 2024 Q	Spain	6–0	Cyprus	Granada, Spain
20:45 CEST (UTC+02:00)	Gavi   18' Merino   33' Joselu   70' Torres   73', 83' Baena   77'	Report		Stadium: Nuevo Los Cármenes Attendance: 17,311 Referee: Simone Sozza (Italia)

Spain   v   Scotland

12 October 2023 Euro 2024 Q	Spain	2–0	Scotland	Seville, Spain
20:45 CEST (UTC+02:00)	Morata   73' Sancet   86'	Report		Stadium: La Cartuja Attendance: 45,623 Referee: Serdar Gözübüyük (Netherlands)

Norway   v   Spain

15 October 2023 Euro 2024 Q	Norway	0–1	Spain	Oslo, Norway
20:45 CEST (UTC+02:00)		Report	Gavi   49'	Stadium: Ullevaal Stadion Attendance: 25,885 Referee: Tobias Stieler (Germany)

Cyprus   v   Spain

16 November 2023 Euro 2024 Q	Cyprus	1–3	Spain	Limassol, Cyprus
18:00 CET (UTC+01:00)	Pileas   75'	Report	Yamal   5' Oyarzabal   22' Joselu   28'	Stadium: Alphamega Stadium Attendance: 9,667 Referee: Mykola Balakin (Ukraine)

Spain   v   Georgia

19 November 2023 Euro 2024 Q	Spain	3–1	Georgia	Valladolid, Spain
20:45 CET (UTC+01:00)	Le Normand   4' Torres   55' Lochoshvili   72' (o.g.)	Report	Kvaratskhelia   10'	Stadium: José Zorrilla Attendance: 24,146 Referee: Ovidiu Hațegan (Romania)

2024

Spain   v   Colombia

22 March 2024 Friendly	Spain	0–1	Colombia	London, England
20:30 GMT (UTC±00:00)		Report	Muñoz   61'	Stadium: London Stadium Referee: Michael Oliver (England)

Spain   v   Brazil

26 March 2024 Friendly	Spain	3–3	Brazil	Madrid, Spain
21:30 CET (UTC+01:00)	Rodri   12' (pen.), 87' (pen.) Olmo   36'	Report	Rodrygo   40' Endrick   50' Paquetá   90+6' (pen.)	Stadium: Santiago Bernabéu Referee: João Pinheiro (Portugal)

Spain   v   Andorra

5 June 2024 Friendly	Spain	v	Andorra	Badajoz, Spain
				Stadium: Nuevo Vivero

Spain   v   Northern Ireland

8 June 2024 Friendly	Spain	v	Northern Ireland	Palma de Mallorca, Spain
				Stadium: Estadi Mallorca Son Moix

Spain   v   Croatia

15 June 2024 Euro 2024 Group B	Spain	v	Croatia	Berlin, Germany
18:00 UTC+2		Report		Stadium: Olympiastadion

Spain   v   Italy

20 June 2024 Euro 2024 Group B	Spain	v	Italy	Gelsenkirchen, Germany
21:00 UTC+2		Report		Stadium: Arena AufSchalke

Albania   v   Spain

24 June 2024 Euro 2024 Group B	Albania	v	Spain	Düsseldorf, Germany
21:00 UTC+2		Report		Stadium: Merkur Spiel-Arena

Serbia   v   Spain

5 September 2024 2024–25 UEFA Nations League	Serbia	v	Spain	Serbia
20:45 CEST		Report		Stadium: TBD

Switzerland   v   Spain

8 September 2024 2024–25 UEFA Nations League	Switzerland	v	Spain	Switzerland
20:45 CEST		Report		Stadium: TBD

Spain   v   Denmark

12 October 2024 2024–25 UEFA Nations League	Spain	v	Denmark	Spain
20:45 CEST		Report		Stadium: TBD

Spain   v   Serbia

15 October 2024 2024–25 UEFA Nations League	Spain	v	Serbia	Spain
20:45 CEST		Report		Stadium: TBD

Denmark   v   Spain

15 November 2024 2024–25 UEFA Nations League	Denmark	v	Spain	Denmark
20:45 CEST		Report		Stadium: TBD

Spain   v    Switzerland

18 November 2024 2024–25 UEFA Nations League	Spain	v	Switzerland	Spain
20:45 CEST		Report		Stadium: TBD

Current squad

The following players were called up for friendlies against Colombia and Brazil on 22 and 26 March 2024, respectively.

Caps and goals updated as of 26 March 2024, after the match against Brazil.

No.	Pos.	Player	Date of birth (age)	Caps	Goals	Club
1	1GK	David Raya	(1995-09-15) 15 September 1995 (age 28)	4	0	Arsenal
13	1GK	Álex Remiro	(1995-03-24) 24 March 1995 (age 29)	1	0	Real Sociedad
23	1GK	Unai Simón	(1997-06-11) 11 June 1997 (age 26)	39	0	Athletic Bilbao
2	2DF	Marc Cucurella	(1998-07-22) 22 July 1998 (age 25)	2	0	Chelsea
3	2DF	Álex Grimaldo	(1995-09-20) 20 September 1995 (age 28)	2	0	Bayer Leverkusen
5	2DF	Robin Le Normand	(1996-11-11) 11 November 1996 (age 27)	9	1	Real Sociedad
14	2DF	Aymeric Laporte	(1994-05-27) 27 May 1994 (age 29)	28	1	Al Nassr
20	2DF	Dani Carvajal	(1992-01-11) 11 January 1992 (age 32)	43	0	Real Madrid
22	2DF	Jesús Navas	(1985-11-21) 21 November 1985 (age 38)	51	5	Sevilla
24	2DF	Pedro Porro	(1999-09-13) 13 September 1999 (age 24)	3	0	Tottenham Hotspur
25	2DF	Daniel Vivian	(1999-07-05) 5 July 1999 (age 24)	1	0	Athletic Bilbao
26	2DF	Pau Cubarsí	(2007-01-22) 22 January 2007 (age 17)	2	0	Barcelona
4	3MF	Martín Zubimendi	(1999-02-02) 2 February 1999 (age 25)	5	0	Real Sociedad
6	3MF	Mikel Merino	(1996-06-22) 22 June 1996 (age 27)	20	1	Real Sociedad
8	3MF	Fabián Ruiz	(1996-04-03) 3 April 1996 (age 28)	22	1	Paris Saint-Germain
15	3MF	Álex Baena	(2001-07-20) 20 July 2001 (age 22)	2	1	Villarreal
16	3MF	Rodri	(1996-06-22) 22 June 1996 (age 27)	49	3	Manchester City
18	3MF	Oihan Sancet	(2000-04-25) 25 April 2000 (age 23)	4	1	Athletic Bilbao
7	4FW	Álvaro Morata (captain)	(1992-10-23) 23 October 1992 (age 31)	71	34	Atlético Madrid
9	4FW	Gerard Moreno	(1992-04-07) 7 April 1992 (age 32)	18	5	Villarreal
10	4FW	Dani Olmo	(1998-05-07) 7 May 1998 (age 25)	33	8	RB Leipzig
11	4FW	Nico Williams	(2002-07-12) 12 July 2002 (age 21)	13	2	Athletic Bilbao
12	4FW	Joselu	(1990-03-27) 27 March 1990 (age 34)	10	5	Real Madrid
17	4FW	Pablo Sarabia	(1992-05-11) 11 May 1992 (age 31)	27	9	Wolverhampton Wanderers
19	4FW	Lamine Yamal	(2007-07-13) 13 July 2007 (age 16)	6	2	Barcelona
21	4FW	Mikel Oyarzabal	(1997-04-21) 21 April 1997 (age 26)	28	7	Real Sociedad

Recent call-ups

The following players have also been called up for the team in the last twelve months.

Pos.	Player	Date of birth (age)	Caps	Goals	Club	Latest call-up
GK	Kepa Arrizabalaga	(1994-10-03) 3 October 1994 (age 29)	13	0	Real Madrid	v.   Norway, 15 October 2023
DF	José Gayà	(1995-05-25) 25 May 1995 (age 28)	22	3	Valencia	v.   Colombia, 22 March 2024 INJ
DF	Pau Torres	(1997-01-16) 16 January 1997 (age 27)	24	1	Aston Villa	v.   Georgia, 19 November 2023
DF	Iñigo Martínez	(1991-05-17) 17 May 1991 (age 32)	21	1	Barcelona	v.   Georgia, 19 November 2023
DF	Eric García	(2001-01-09) 9 January 2001 (age 23)	19	0	Girona	v.   Georgia, 19 November 2023
DF	David García	(1994-02-14) 14 February 1994 (age 30)	3	0	Osasuna	v.   Georgia, 19 November 2023
DF	Fran García	(1999-08-14) 14 August 1999 (age 24)	2	0	Real Madrid	v.   Norway, 15 October 2023
DF	Alfonso Pedraza	(1996-04-09) 9 April 1996 (age 28)	1	0	Villarreal	v.   Norway, 15 October 2023
DF	Alejandro Balde	(2003-10-18) 18 October 2003 (age 20)	7	0	Barcelona	v.   Scotland, 12 October 2023 INJ
DF	César Azpilicueta	(1989-08-28) 28 August 1989 (age 34)	44	1	Atlético Madrid	v.  Cyprus, 12 September 2023
DF	Jordi Alba RET	(1989-03-21) 21 March 1989 (age 35)	93	9	Inter Miami	2023 UEFA Nations League Finals
DF	Nacho	(1990-01-18) 18 January 1990 (age 34)	24	1	Real Madrid	2023 UEFA Nations League Finals
DF	Juan Bernat	(1993-03-01) 1 March 1993 (age 31)	11	1	Benfica	2023 UEFA Nations League Finals INJ
MF	Gavi	(2004-08-05) 5 August 2004 (age 19)	27	5	Barcelona	v.   Georgia, 19 November 2023
MF	Rodrigo Riquelme	(2000-05-02) 2 May 2000 (age 23)	2	0	Atlético Madrid	v.   Georgia, 19 November 2023
MF	Aleix García	(1997-06-28) 28 June 1997 (age 26)	1	0	Girona	v.   Georgia, 19 November 2023
MF	Sergio Canales	(1991-02-16) 16 February 1991 (age 33)	11	1	Monterrey	2023 UEFA Nations League Finals
FW	Ferran Torres	(2000-02-29) 29 February 2000 (age 24)	40	18	Barcelona	v.   Georgia, 19 November 2023
FW	Ansu Fati	(2002-10-31) 31 October 2002 (age 21)	10	2	Brighton & Hove Albion	v.   Norway, 15 October 2023
FW	Bryan Zaragoza	(2001-09-09) 9 September 2001 (age 22)	1	0	Bayern Munich	v.   Norway, 15 October 2023
FW	Yeremy Pino	(2002-10-20) 20 October 2002 (age 21)	12	2	Villarreal	v.   Scotland, 12 October 2023 INJ
FW	Abel Ruiz	(2000-01-28) 28 January 2000 (age 24)	2	0	Braga	v.   Cyprus, 12 September 2023
FW	Marco Asensio	(1996-01-21) 21 January 1996 (age 28)	38	2	Paris Saint-Germain	v.   Georgia, 8 September 2023 INJ
FW	Rodrigo Moreno	(1991-03-06) 6 March 1991 (age 33)	28	8	Al-Rayyan	2023 UEFA Nations League Finals
INJ Player withdrew from the squad due to an injury PRE Preliminary squad / standby WD Player withdrew from the squad due to non-injury issue RET Player retired from the national team SUS Player is serving suspension

Previous squads

World Cup

• 1934 FIFA World Cup squad
• 1950 FIFA World Cup squad
• 1962 FIFA World Cup squad
• 1966 FIFA World Cup squad
• 1978 FIFA World Cup squad
• 1982 FIFA World Cup squad
• 1986 FIFA World Cup squad
• 1990 FIFA World Cup squad
• 1994 FIFA World Cup squad
• 1998 FIFA World Cup squad
• 2002 FIFA World Cup squad
• 2006 FIFA World Cup squad
• 2010 FIFA World Cup squad
• 2014 FIFA World Cup squad
• 2018 FIFA World Cup squad
• 2022 FIFA World Cup squad

European Championship

• UEFA Euro 1964 squad
• UEFA Euro 1980 squad
• UEFA Euro 1984 squad
• UEFA Euro 1988 squad
• UEFA Euro 1996 squad
• UEFA Euro 2000 squad
• UEFA Euro 2004 squad
• UEFA Euro 2008 squad
• UEFA Euro 2012 squad
• UEFA Euro 2016 squad
• UEFA Euro 2020 squad

UEFA Nations League Finals

• 2021 UEFA Nations League Finals squad
• 2023 UEFA Nations League Finals squad

Confederations Cup

• 2009 FIFA Confederations Cup squad
• 2013 FIFA Confederations Cup squad

Olympic Games

• 1920 Olympic Games squad
• 1924 Olympic Games squad
• 1928 Olympic Games squad

Player records

Sergio Ramos holds the record for most appearances for the Spain's team with 180. In second place is Iker Casillas with 167, followed by Sergio Busquets with 143.

David Villa holds the title of Spain's highest goalscorer, scoring 59 goals from 2005 to 2017, during which time he played for Spain on 98 occasions. Raúl González is the second highest goalscorer, scoring 44 goals in 102 appearances between 1996 and 2006.

Most capped players

 

Below is a list of the ten players with the most caps for Spain, as of 6 December 2022^[update].

Players in bold are still active with Spain.

Youngest capped player

• Lamine Yamal (16 years and 57 days) vs.   Georgia, 8 September 2023

Oldest capped player

• Jesús Navas (38 years and 116 days) vs.   Brazil, 26 March 2024

Top goalscorers

 

Below is a list of the top ten goalscorers for Spain, as of 26 March 2024^[update].

Youngest goalscorer

• Lamine Yamal (16 years and 57 days) vs.   Georgia, 8 September 2023

Oldest goalscorer

• Aritz Aduriz (35 years and 274 days) vs.   Macedonia, 12 November 2016

Most goals scored in a single match

• Chacho (6 goals) vs.   Bulgaria, 13 May 1933

First goal scored

• Juan Arzuaga vs.   France, 25 May 1913 (unofficial game)
• Patricio Arabolaza vs.   Denmark, 28 August 1920 (official game)

Captains

List of Spain's captains in majors tournaments.

• Mariano Arrate (3 caps as captain) was captain during Summer Olympics 1920.
• Pedro Vallana (5) was captain during Summer Olympics 1924 and Summer Olympics 1928.
• Ricardo Zamora (24) was captain during World Cup 1934.
• Ignacio Eizaguirre (4) was captain during World Cup 1950.
• Joan Segarra (15) was captain during World Cup 1962.
• Ferran Olivella (10) was captain during European Nations Cup 1964.
• Francisco Gento (15) was captain during World Cup 1966.
• Pirri (18) was captain during World Cup 1978.
• Juan Manuel Asensi (14) was captain during Euro 1980.
• Luis Arconada (48) was captain during World Cup 1982 and Euro 1984.
• José Antonio Camacho (24) was captain during World Cup 1986 and Euro 1988.
• Emilio Butragueño (31) was captain during World Cup 1990.
• Andoni Zubizarreta (50) was captain during World Cup 1994, Euro 1996 and World Cup 1998.
• Fernando Hierro (32) was captain during Euro 2000 and World Cup 2002.
• Raúl (42) was captain during Euro 2004 and World Cup 2006.
• Iker Casillas (104) was captain during Euro 2008, World Cup 2010, Euro 2012, World Cup 2014 and Euro 2016.
• Sergio Ramos (54) was captain during World Cup 2018.
• Sergio Busquets (20) was captain during Euro 2020, Nations League 2021 and World Cup 2022.
• Jordi Alba (2) was captain during Nations League 2023.

Manager records

• Most manager appearances

Vicente del Bosque: 114

• Most consecutive wins (including friendlies): 15 (2008–2009)
• Most consecutive wins achieved by an international coach from debut: 13 – Vicente del Bosque
• Most penalty shoot-outs in one World Cup by one team: 2 at the 2002 FIFA World Cup (shared with   Argentina at the 1990 FIFA World Cup,   Netherlands and   Costa Rica at the 2014 FIFA World Cup,   Russia and   Croatia at the 2018 FIFA World Cup, and   Croatia and   Argentina at the 2022 FIFA World Cup)
• Highest maximum number of points in World Cup qualification: 30 out of 30 (2010) (shared with   Germany for 2018)

FIFA World Cup

Although often entering tournaments as one of the favorites, Spain have often been perceived as underachieving at the World Cup. Spain's first World Cup was in 1934. At that World Cup, Spain started their campaign by defeating Brazil 3–1 to advance to the quarter-finals, where they lost to hosts Italy in a replay. Before Spain's success in 2010, their best result came in 1950, where they reached the last four. Spain were paired with the hosts Brazil, as well as Uruguay and Sweden. Spain managed a draw against Uruguay but defeats from Brazil and Sweden meant that Spain would end up in fourth place. At the 2010 FIFA World Cup held in South Africa, Spain became world champions for the first time after defeating the Netherlands 1–0 in the final, becoming the eighth country to win the World Cup.

  Champions    Runners-up    Third place     Tournament played fully or partially on home soil  

FIFA World Cup record										Qualification record
Year	Round	Position	Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA		Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA
1930	Did not enter									Did not enter
1934	Quarter-finals	5th	3	1	1	1	4	3		2	2	0	0	11	1
1938	Withdrew									Withdrew
1950	Fourth place	4th	6	3	1	2	10	12		2	1	1	0	7	3
1954	Did not qualify									3	1	1	1	6	4
1958										4	2	1	1	12	8
1962	Group stage	13th	3	1	0	2	2	3		4	3	1	0	7	4
1966		10th	3	1	0	2	4	5		3	2	0	1	5	2
1970	Did not qualify									6	2	2	2	10	6
1974										5	2	2	1	8	6
1978	Group stage	10th	3	1	1	1	2	2		4	3	0	1	4	1
1982	Second group stage	12th	5	1	2	2	4	5		Qualified as host
1986	Quarter-finals	7th	5	3	1	1	11	4		6	4	0	2	9	8
1990	Round of 16	10th	4	2	1	1	6	4		8	6	1	1	20	3
1994	Quarter-finals	8th	5	2	2	1	10	6		12	8	3	1	27	4
1998	Group stage	17th	3	1	1	1	8	4		10	8	2	0	26	6
2002	Quarter-finals	5th	5	3	2	0	10	5		8	6	2	0	21	4
2006	Round of 16	9th	4	3	0	1	9	4		12	6	6	0	25	5
2010	Champions	1st	7	6	0	1	8	2		10	10	0	0	28	5
2014	Group stage	23rd	3	1	0	2	4	7		8	6	2	0	14	3
2018	Round of 16	10th	4	1	3	0	7	6		10	9	1	0	36	3
2022		13th	4	1	2	1	9	3		8	6	1	1	15	5
2026	To be determined									To be determined
2030
2034
Total	1 Title	16/22	67	31	17	19	108	75		125	87	26	12	291	81

Spain's World Cup record
First match	Spain 3–1 Brazil   (27 May 1934; Genoa, Italy)
Biggest win	Spain 7–0 Costa Rica   (23 November 2022; Doha, Qatar)
Biggest defeat	Brazil 6–1 Spain   (13 July 1950; Rio de Janeiro, Brazil)
Best result	Champions in 2010
Worst result	Group stage in 1962, 1966, 1978, 1998, 2014

UEFA European Championship

Spain have won the joint most UEFA European Championships, along with Germany (three titles). La Roja are also the only nation to date to have won consecutive championships. They have hosted the tournament once, in 1964 (one city was used to host games at Euro 2020) and have appeared in a total of eleven tournaments, with an upcoming twelfth appearance in 2024.

The team won their first international trophy on home soil in 1964, defeating the Soviet Union 2–1. Spain would reach the final twenty years later in 1984, where they would lose the final to France. Spain would not reach the final again until 2008, where they would defeat Germany 1–0. Four years later, Spain earned back-to-back titles, comprehensively defeating Italy 4–0 in the final in Kyiv.

UEFA European Championship record										Qualification record
Year	Round	Position	Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA		Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA
1960	Withdrew									2	2	0	0	7	2
1964	Champions	1st	2	2	0	0	4	2		6	4	1	1	16	5
1968	Did not qualify									8	3	2	3	7	5
1972										6	3	2	1	14	3
1976										8	3	4	1	11	9
1980	Group stage	7th	3	0	1	2	2	4		6	4	1	1	13	5
1984	Runners-up	2nd	5	1	3	1	4	5		8	6	1	1	24	8
1988	Group stage	6th	3	1	0	2	3	5		6	5	0	1	14	6
1992	Did not qualify									7	3	0	4	17	12
1996	Quarter-finals	6th	4	1	3	0	4	3		10	8	2	0	25	4
2000		5th	4	2	0	2	7	7		8	7	0	1	42	5
2004	Group stage	10th	3	1	1	1	2	2		10	7	2	1	21	5
2008	Champions	1st	6	5	1	0	12	3		12	9	1	2	23	8
2012	Champions	1st	6	4	2	0	12	1		8	8	0	0	26	6
2016	Round of 16	10th	4	2	0	2	5	4		10	9	0	1	23	3
2020	Semi-finals	3rd	6	2	4	0	13	6		10	8	2	0	31	5
2024	Qualified									8	7	0	1	25	5
Total	3 Titles	11/17	46	21	15	10	68	42		133	96	18	19	339	96

Spain's European Championship record
First match	Spain 2–1 Hungary   (Madrid, Spain; 17 June 1964)
Biggest win	Spain 5–0 Slovakia   (Seville, Spain; 23 June 2021)
Biggest defeat	France 2–0 Spain   (Paris, France; 27 June 1984)   West Germany 2–0 Spain   (Munich, West Germany; 17 June 1988)   Italy 2–0 Spain   (Saint-Denis, France; 27 June 2016)
Best result	Champions in 1964, 2008, 2012
Worst result	Group stage in 1980, 1988, 2004

UEFA Nations League

Since the inaugural UEFA Nations League, La Roja have remained in League A and have reached the UEFA Nations League Finals on two occasions. At the 2021 Finals, Spain won their semi-final after defeating Italy 2–1 but lost to France in the final. In the following campaign, La Roja would again reach the final thanks to another win against Italy. Spain would then beat Croatia on penalties after a 0–0 draw.

UEFA Nations League record
League phase													Finals
Season	LG	Grp	Pos	Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA	P/R	RK		Year	Pos	Pld	W	D*	L	GF	GA	Squad
2018–19	A	4	2nd	4	2	0	2	12	7		7th		2019	Did not qualify
2020–21	A	4	1st	6	3	2	1	13	3		2nd		2021	Runners-up	2	1	0	1	3	3	Squad
2022–23	A	2	1st	6	3	2	1	8	5		1st		2023	Champions	2	1	1	0	2	1	Squad
2024–25	A	4	To be determined										2025	To be determined
Total				16	8	4	4	33	15	1st			Total	1 Title	4	2	1	1	5	4

*Draws include knockout matches decided via penalty shoot-out.

Spain's Nations League record
First match	England 1–2 Spain   (London, England; 8 September 2018)
Biggest win	Spain 6–0 Croatia   (Elche, Spain; 11 September 2018)   Spain 6–0 Germany   (Seville, Spain; 17 November 2020)
Biggest defeat	Spain 2–3 England   (Seville, Spain; 15 October 2018)   Croatia 3–2 Spain   (Zagreb, Croatia; 15 November 2018)   Ukraine 1–0 Spain   (Kyiv, Ukraine; 13 October 2020)   Spain 1–2 Switzerland   (Zaragoza, Spain; 24 September 2022)
Best result	Champions in 2022–23
Worst result	7th place in 2018–19

FIFA Confederations Cup

Spain made two appearances at the FIFA Confederations. Their first appearance came in 2009 when they won a third place medal. Spain had lost 2–0 to the United States in the semi-finals. At the next edition, Spain qualified as World champions. La Roja reached the final in Brazil, but lost 3–0 to the hosts.

FIFA Confederations Cup record
Year	Round	Position	Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA
1992	UEFA did not participate
1995	Did not qualify
1997
1999
2001
2003
2005
2009	Third place	3rd	5	4	0	1	11	4
2013	Runners-up	2nd	5	3	1	1	15	4
2017	Did not qualify
Total	Runners-up		10	7	1	2	26	8

Spain's Confederations Cup record
First match	Spain 5–0 New Zealand   (Rustenburg, South Africa; 14 June 2009)
Biggest win	Spain 10–0 Tahiti   (Rio de Janeiro, Brazil; 20 June 2013)
Biggest defeat	Brazil 3–0 Spain   (Rio de Janeiro, Brazil; 30 June 2013)
Best result	Runners-up in 2013
Worst result	Third place in 2009

The following table shows Spain's all-time international record, correct as of 14 June 2021.^{[citation needed]}

Source:

Major titles

• FIFA World Cup
  • Champions (1): 2010
• UEFA European Championship
  • Champions (3): 1964, 2008, 2012
  • Runners-up (1): 1984
  • Third place (1): 2020
• UEFA Nations League
  • Champions (1): 2023
  • Runners-up (1): 2021
• FIFA Confederations Cup
  • Runners-up (1): 2013
  • Third place (1): 2009
• Olympic Games
  • Gold medal (1): 1992
  • Silver medal (1): 1920

Awards

• FIFA Fair Play Trophy
  • Winners (4): 2006, 2010, 2013, 2018
• FIFA Team of the Year
  • Winners (6): 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013
• Prince of Asturias Award for Sports
  • Winners (1): 2010
• Laureus World Team of the Year
  • Winners (1): 2011

• Spain national under-23 football team (Olympic football team)
• Spain national under-21 football team
• Spain national under-20 football team
• Spain national under-19 football team
• Spain national under-18 football team
• Spain national under-17 football team
• Spain national under-16 football team
• Spain national under-15 football team
• Spain women's national football team
• Football in Spain