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At all levels, Spain currently dominates football.
The men’s national team beat England to be crowned European champions this summer while the women’s team won the World Cup last year.
They also hold the two biggest titles in European club football, with Real Madrid and Barcelona winning the men’s and women’s Champions League respectively last season.
Spain could soon add an Olympic gold medal to its tally on Friday in Paris, with its compatriots competing in the men’s final. The women’s team narrowly missed out on the final, beaten by Brazil in the semi-finals.
It is a hugely impressive list of achievements – and perhaps worrying for rival countries given that the success has been achieved despite a chaotic backdrop stemming from the sexism scandal that overshadowed the women’s team’s World Cup victory.
How did Spain become such a dominant force?
Normalize the feeling of victory at all levels
Spain’s victory at the European Championship this summer was their first title since 2012. In fact, the national team had had a relatively difficult period between the years they won the championship.
But when Spain reaches the end of tournaments, they usually come out on top, as one incredible statistic shows.
Whether it’s the World Cup, European Championship, Champions League or UEFA Cup/Europa League, in the last 27 men’s finals involving Spanish teams, all 27 have ended in victories for Spain.
Meanwhile, women’s football in Spain has flourished over the last decade and is also starting to achieve great success in high-pressure matches.
The country’s victory over England in last year’s Women’s World Cup final came in their third appearance at the tournament, having made their debut in 2015.
The Spanish women’s team won the Nations League earlier this year, while Barcelona have won the last two Women’s Champions League titles.
“The changes in women’s football in Spain have been particularly significant,” former player Maria Garrido, now a journalist, told BBC Sport.
“Ten years ago, when I played for FC Barcelona, there was no La Masia [the famed academy at Barcelona] for the girls. We paid our own transportation costs, our parents took us to training and we didn’t earn any money.
“But over the last five years, the situation has improved considerably. There have been significant efforts to promote women’s football, including the creation of more youth categories, better facilities and conditions, and the establishment of a football academy dedicated to girls.
“This transformation has not only revolutionised the sport, but has also increased respect for women’s football in Spain.”
These successes, for both the men’s and women’s teams, follow numerous titles won at youth level over the last decade, with players from those teams transferring that winning mentality to senior football.
Salma Paralluelo is only 20 years old, but she was part of the women’s team that won the World Cup and is already a two-time Women’s Champions League winner with Barcelona.
At youth level, she won the Under-20 and Under-17 Women’s World Cups, as well as the European Women’s Under-17 Championship.
“We are working very well, but we see it in the lower categories,” she said in an interview with FIFA last year.
“We win everything. In the end, we normalize winning. It’s incredible what’s happening.”
Continuation of the coaches
Familiarity and continuity also appear to have played an important role in Spain’s recent dominance.
The man who guided the men’s team to success at Euro 2024 this summer was Luis de la Fuente.
The 63-year-old took charge of the national team in 2022 but has previously managed several members of his squad with the Under-19s, Under-21s and Under-23s.
His triumph in Germany was his third European title with his country – having also won with the Under-19s and Under-21s.
“De la Fuente knew most of these players from the academies and they are growing as a team,” former Spain midfielder Juan Mata told BBC Sport.
“It’s not just a team for the present, but also a team for the future.”
Jorge Vilda, who coached Spain to their Women’s World Cup victory last year before being sacked following the Luis Rubiales scandal, had been the national team’s coach for eight years.
He had previously won titles as manager of the national under-17 and under-19 teams.
Vilda was replaced by his former assistant Montse Tome, who became Spain’s first female head coach, and she led the team to Nations League victory at the first attempt, beating France in February.
“The practice of promoting coaches from the U17 and U19 categories to the senior teams has fostered a consistent tactical approach and philosophy within the Spanish national teams,” adds Garrido.
“This smooth transition allows players to develop under familiar guidance, ensuring a consistent and unified style of play from junior to senior level.”
A defined playing style
When the men’s team last enjoyed its period of dominance – in the late 2000s and early 2010s – it was renowned for its short passing and “tiki taka” style of football.
That era of pure “tika taka” is now largely over, but if Spanish football has not completely abandoned its principles, it has evolved them.
Possession is still an important part of their game, but not as much as it used to be.
In their 3-0 win over Croatia at Euro 2024, they had less possession than their opponents for the first time since the Euro 2008 final, ending a remarkable 136-match run.
Technique and positioning are now key elements of the Spanish game, and both are also a focus in women’s and youth football.
The ultimate goal is for players to become familiar with a system at every level.
“The great thing about this Spain team is that they know their role and know how to fit in,” said former Manchester City defender Micah Richards after Spain’s victory over England at Euro 2024.
“With England, sometimes we tend to put our best players on the pitch. This Spanish team has just managed to find a way to select players who will have an impact in that system.”
What impact has the sexism scandal had on Spanish football?
For all the good that has happened to Spanish football in recent years, the country is still trying to restore its image after the sexism scandal that overshadowed its Women’s World Cup victory last year.
Rubiales resigned as president of the Spanish Football Federation after being criticised for kissing Spain striker Jenni Hermoso without her consent during the medal ceremony for the final. Rubiales has always denied any wrongdoing.
“Despite the controversy with former president Luis Rubiales and the sexism scandal, Spanish football is still thriving,” says Garrido.
“The scandal has attracted some negative attention and may have affected morale, but Spain’s strong football system and talented players have helped keep things on track. Their success shows how dedicated and resilient they are.
“In the long term, this scandal could lead to positive changes in Spanish football. There is a push for more transparency, inclusion and gender equality within the federation.
“With some necessary reforms, it can become even stronger and more inclusive, ensuring continued success and growth.”
