Luis de la Fuente’s side are blessed with a wealth of talent in their ranks and won Euro 2024 in Germany after outsmarting England in the final two years ago.

Spain are many bookies’ favourites to lift the World Cup and, as DAZN News reporter Ross Heppenstall explains, they look well placed to go far in North America in the coming weeks.

Undeniable tournament pedigree

Spain have won the European Championship a record four times (in 1964, 2008, 2012 and 2024) and the World Cup in 2010.

They head to this summer’s tournament with memories of their success in Germany two years ago still fresh in the mind.

Spain won all seven matches they played in the competition, the first side to accomplish this since France won five out of five in 1984, and set a new record for most goals scored in a single European Championship, with fifteen.

They beat England 2-1 in the final in Berlin with second-half goals from Nico Williams and Mikel Oyarzabal either side of an equaliser from Cole Palmer.

Despite pushing Spain close, Three Lions boss Gareth Southgate admitted afterwards: “As always in these games, it’s fine margins.

“But I think Spain were the best team in the tournament and over the piece they deserved to win.”

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Who has been picked?

De le Fuente named his 26-man squad on May 25 and did not include a single Real Madrid player for the first time in the country’s 17 World Cup participations since 1934.

Real stars such as Dean Huijsen, Dani Carvajal and Gonzalo García missed out, but eight players from La Liga champions Barcelona made the cut.

There are plenty of other representatives from other Spanish top-flight clubs including Atletico Madrid, Athletic Club, Real Sociedad, Celta Vigo and Osasuna.

In the Premier League, Arsenal, Manchester City, Tottenham Hotspur, Crystal Palace and Chelsea had players included, as did Paris Saint-Germain in France and Bayer Leverkusen in Germany.

Gunners Premier League-winning trio David Raya, Mikel Merino and Martin Zubimendi are in the squad with Tottenham’s Pedro Porro, City midfielder Rodri, Chelsea left-back Marc Cucurella and Palace forward Yeremy Pino, who starred in his side’s Conference League final win over Rayo Vallecano on May 27.

De la Fuente said of his squad selection: “It’s difficult.

“We think about every possible scenario that can happen in games with our opponents, and their characteristics.

“We’ve chosen these 26. I think we’ve covered the needs of the team and I don’t look at whether they play for one team or another.”

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Rising stars set to shine again

Spain boast two exceptional young talents who played key roles in their European Championship success two years ago.

Barcelona sensation Lamine Yamal and Athletic Bilbao winger Nico Williams made a huge impression in Germany and will now hope to set the global stage alight.

Yamal, 18, missed the final month of the season after tearing his left hamstring while playing for Barcelona on 22 April.

Williams, 23, has also been struggling with a hamstring problem but both players been included in Spain’s World Cup squad.

Yamal and Williams are universally regarded as two of the finest talents on the planet and are expected to be passed fit for the start of the tournament.

De la Fuente said: “We’re very relaxed. Barring any setbacks, we’ll have ​everyone ​available from the very first match.

“We’re in close contact with the ​clubs’ medical teams.

“We’ll call on them when we deem it appropriate.

“I’d like to reiterate that we’ll ⁠have everyone in top form and we’ll be able to enjoy watching them in the tournament.”

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Who do Spain face in the group stage?

Spain, who are ranked No 2 in the world behind France, are in Group H with Cape Verde, Saudi Arabia and Uruguay.

They open their campaign against Cape Verde on 15 June in Atlanta before playing Saudi Arabia on 21 June, also in Atlanta.

They finish their group stage in Mexico, when they face Uruguay on 26 June in Guadalajara.

The 2010 World Cup champions scheduled warm-up friendlies against Iraq and Peru ahead of their World Cup opener.

They expect to improve on their performance at the 2022 World Cup, when they lost to Morocco in the last 16.

Most bookies have Spain as 5/1 favourites with France, England, Argentina, Brazil and Portugal not far behind.

 

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