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Associated Press

Spain won the World Cup on Sunday by dethroning Argentina 1-0, but the victory in New Jersey has also taken Spanish football to a level of its own.
As the team returned home on Monday, with an estimated crowd of almost two million on hand to greet them through the streets of Madrid, their win added to the nation’s long list of recent triumphs across men’s, women’s and youth competitions, highlighting the dominance of a system that has stuck to a tactical identity and the development of collective talent.
The men’s team, whose 26 players and coaching staff met the country’s royals and then Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez, are also the current European champions and Olympic gold medallists, and have reached the Nations League final twice, winning it once.
The women’s squad, meanwhile, are the defending World Cup champions and two-time Women’s Nations League winners. They also reached the final of the 2025 European Championships.
Spain are the first nation to hold both the men’s and women’s World Cup titles at the same time and are the only country with two men’s World Cup triumphs this century. The nation have also won several youth tournaments in recent years with both the men’s and women’s teams.

The men’s senior squad have been racking up titles since they were gradually revamped after the demise of a golden generation that won the nation’s first World Cup in 2010, with the likes of Andrés Iniesta, Xavi Hernández, Sergio Ramos and Gerard Piqué.
Players such as Lamine Yamal, Pau Cubarsí, Rodri and Ferran Torres – the goal scorer in Sunday’s final – are now the ones representing a new generation that has taken La Roja back to the top.
“I’m very emotional looking back,” Spain coach Luis de la Fuente said. “We’ve talked about it with the players; we have won everything, it’s wonderful … It’s a generation of players that has been an example for Spanish sports, for young Spaniards, for Spain. Together we are stronger.”
Collective talent
Spain had not gone past the last 16 of the men’s World Cup since winning the title in South Africa in 2010. But they have been in contention in almost every competition they have played since De la Fuente’s arrival in 2022, and their 38-match unbeaten streak is the longest in men’s international football.
Despite a very talented group of players, it has been Spain’s collective performance that has impressed the most and the team have not had to rely on star players. They have also been thriving defensively, with a solid back line and a relentless pursuit to regain possession.
The recent wave of success can be tracked to the surprise hiring of De la Fuente to replace Luis Enrique following the team’s elimination by Morocco in the round of 16 of the 2022 World Cup in Qatar. De la Fuente was relatively unknown at the time, but the Spanish football federation knew him well.

By hiring him, Spain were actually betting on their youth system as De la Fuente had been coaching Spain’s younger national teams for some time.
He was well versed in the federation’s process of instilling a tactical identity at all levels, from the bottom up and across men’s and women’s squads, allowing players from youth teams to go through a seamless transition to the main squads.
It was the case for players such as Yamal, Cubarsí, Nico Williams, Pedri and Gavi, who are among the youngsters set to keep Spain’s men’s team thriving for some time.
“When you look at everything that we’ve gone through, you realise how this process was important,” De la Fuente said. “Certainly, we wouldn’t have been able to do what we did today if we hadn’t gone through this process with these players. And it’s not something that happened during this World Cup – it has been happening for several years.”
Coaching prowess
De la Fuente’s recent success quickly put him in the group of Spanish coaches who have been leading national teams and helping clubs thrive across the globe.
Pep Guardiola, Luis Enrique, Mikel Arteta, Unai Emery, Xabi Alonso and Roberto Martínez are among the successful coaches spreading Spanish tactics everywhere – another sign of the nation’s prominence in global football.
On Monday, Prime Minister Sanchez thanked the coaches and players “for the style of play, the effort and the victory. We have truly enjoyed watching you play”.

The squad then boarded an open-top bus for a raucous parade through central Madrid. “Stars shine together” was written on the bus, which also carried photos of the footballers.
Players – carrying the World Cup trophy and wearing shirts with the words Somos Campeones (We Are Champions) – danced and interacted with the fans along the route.
The squad travelled down Madrid’s historic avenues from near Moncloa Palace, the prime minister’s official residence, to Cibeles Square, where authorities told local media that some 120,000 people were on hand for a ceremony.
Officials estimated a total of 1.8 million people welcomed the team in Madrid.


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Spain’s players prepare to throw coach Luis De La Fuente into the air. Photo: Reuters

Spain captain Rodri holds up the World Cup trophy with teammates on stage at Cibeles Square. Photo: Reuters

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Football

Winning team, who are greeted in Madrid by almost two million people including royals and prime minister, are apex of a now-dominant system


Winning team, who are greeted in Madrid by almost two million people including royals and prime minister, are apex of a now-dominant system.


Fifa World Cup 2026

Spain return home for parade in front of 2 million, with World Cup, all-conquering identity

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}Winning team, who are greeted in Madrid by almost two million people including royals and prime minister, are apex of a now-dominant system

Winning team, who are greeted in Madrid by almost two million people including royals and prime minister, are apex of a now-dominant system