World Cup 2026: Which Teams Protected a First-Half Lead?
Short answer: in the eight named team rows available for this comparison, 22 of 24 recorded first-half lead episodes were held through full time, (…)
Spain’s national team stands at the heart of the country’s football identity, carrying the red colours of La Roja onto an international stage shaped by technical control, regional pride and major tournament ambition. Founded in 1913 and governed by the RFEF, the selection has evolved from historic European success into one of the game’s most recognisable football cultures. Its story brings together the travelling character of a national side, a celebrated youth pathway and a modern style built on intelligent possession, movement and close technical connections.
Xtra rating
2144
Conservative: 1515
Rank national
1
Updated: 19 July 2026
Spain Upcoming matches by league
UEFA Nations League
-
- 1
England
Spain
-
- 2
Spain
Croatia
-
- 3
SpainNo H2HCzech Republic
-
- 4
CroatiaNo H2HSpain
Spain Last matches by league
UEFA Nations League
World Cup
Friendlies
World Cup - Qualification Europe
Euro Championship
Spain Team Roster
Spain’s recorded senior selection contains 26 players: five attackers, seven defenders, three goalkeepers and 11 midfielders. The group combines established international figures with emerging options, including Borja Iglesias, Mikel Oyarzabal and Nico Williams in attack; Álex Grimaldo, Aymeric Laporte, Marc Cucurella and Pau Cubarsí Paredes in defence; and David Raya, Joan García and Unai Simón in goal. Midfield provides the largest unit, with Rodri, Pedri, Dani Olmo, Fabián Ruiz and Lamine Yamal among the named options. This balance gives the roster broad coverage across every main playing line.
position Goalkeeper
position Defender
2
Marc Pubill Pagès
DEF
Spain
3
Alejandro Grimaldo García
DEF
Spain
4
Eric García Martret
DEF
Spain
12
Pedro Antonio Porro Sauceda
DEF
Spain
14
Aymeric Jean Louis Gérard Alph Laporte
DEF
France
22
Pau Cubarsí Paredes
DEF
Spain
24
Marc Cucurella Saseta
DEF
Spain
position Midfielder
5
Marcos Llorente Moreno
MID
Spain
6
Mikel Merino Zazón
MID
Spain
7
Ferran Torres García
MID
Spain
8
Fabián Ruiz Peña
MID
Spain
10
Daniel Olmo Carvajal
MID
Spain
11
Yeremy Jesús Pino Santos
MID
Spain
15
Alejandro Baena Rodríguez
MID
Spain
16
Rodrigo Hernández Cascante
MID
Spain
18
Martín Zubimendi Ibáñez
MID
Spain
19
Lamine Yamal Nasraoui Ebana
MID
Spain
20
Pedro González López
MID
Spain
position Attacker
9
Pablo Martín Páez Gavira
FWD
Spain
17
Nicholas Williams Arthuer
FWD
Spain
21
Mikel Oyarzabal Ugarte
FWD
Spain
25
Víctor Muñoz Villanueva
FWD
Spain
26
Borja Iglesias Quintás
FWD
Spain
Last Spain Coachs
Spain’s senior-team chronology places Luis de la Fuente’s appointment in January 2023 at its latest clear point. His present status is not confirmed in this dated chronology. Earlier entries place Luis Enrique across two spells between July 2018 and December 2022, with Robert Moreno recorded from June to November 2019. This sequence puts de la Fuente at the front of the documented modern coaching record while maintaining a neutral distinction between a dated appointment and a confirmed present role.
Steve Ndaba
South Africa
Coach since
1 February 2024
Coach until
History
| Coach | Coach country | Coach since | Coach until |
|---|---|---|---|
| Steve Ndaba | South Africa | 1 February 2024 | |
| Luis de la Fuente Castillo | Spain | 1 January 2023 | |
| Luis Enrique Martínez García | Spain | 1 November 2019 | 1 December 2022 |
| Robert Moreno González | Spain | 1 June 2019 | 1 November 2019 |
| Luis Enrique Martínez García | Spain | 1 July 2018 | 1 June 2019 |
| Fernando Ruiz Hierro | Spain | 1 June 2018 | 1 July 2018 |
| Julen Lopetegui Argote | Spain | 1 July 2016 | 1 June 2018 |
| Vicente Del Bosque | Spain | 1 July 2008 | 1 July 2016 |
| José Antonio Camacho Alfaro | Spain | 1 September 1998 | 1 June 2002 |
| Javier Clemente Lazaro | Spain | 1 September 1992 | 1 September 1998 |
| 1 January 1934 | 1 December 1934 |
Spain Transfers
For a national team, arrivals are created by selection rather than by club signings, loans or other market transactions. Spain’s 26-player group represents the available selection pool for that recorded squad snapshot. New additions can arise through eligibility, a coach’s call-up decision or a player’s return to international duty after absence. No individual incoming call-up or return is identified for this period, so no specific addition is named. The relevant movement is selection-based, with players joining the national camp from their established football environments rather than changing club affiliation.
No transfers in
For a national team, departures are selection events rather than club sales, loans or releases. Players may be omitted from a squad, withdraw before a fixture or return to their clubs after international duty. Spain’s 26-player selection recorded does not come with a player-specific omission or withdrawal to summarise. No individual departure is therefore named. The national-team cycle records availability decisions and the end of a call-up period, not a change of club affiliation. Such movement is selection turnover or post-window return to club duty.
Latest player transfers to
| Player | Team to | Transfer type | Transfer date |
|---|---|---|---|
| K. Mgeshane |
Orbit College
|
N/A | 1 July 2024 |
Transfers Synthesis
Spain’s selection cycle is governed by eligibility, availability and the demands of each international window, not by a transfer market. The recorded 26-player group is a snapshot of the senior pool for that stage of the cycle. Additions are made through call-ups, returns to selection and decisions over who is eligible and available, while departures take the form of omissions, withdrawals or the routine return of players to their clubs after duty. No individual incoming or outgoing change is identified for this period, so the movement pattern cannot be assigned to particular players. This points to a conventional national-team model in which continuity and renewal are managed between camps, qualifiers, tournament matches and friendlies. Spain’s recorded competition pathway includes the World Cup, European Championship, UEFA Nations League and their qualifying programmes, giving selection decisions a changing competitive context. The selection picture therefore describes squad administration and sporting availability, not club trading.
Leagues Spain has participated in
Spain’s recorded competition portfolio spans the World Cup from 2010 through 2026, the Euro Championship from 2008 through 2024 and the UEFA Nations League from 2018 through 2024. The World Cup is the only competition with recent activity extending to 2026. European World Cup qualifying is recorded from 2018 to 2024, while Euro Championship qualifying appears for 2023. Friendlies are recorded between 2017 and 2024, and the Confederations Cup between 2009 and 2013. Except for the recent World Cup entry, these dates describe historical participation in the available competition record rather than confirmed current campaigns.
More about Spain
Spain’s national football team is the senior selection of Spain, founded in 1913 and governed by the Royal Spanish Football Federation, commonly abbreviated as the RFEF. It competes within UEFA’s European framework and represents Spain in FIFA’s global international game. The team is widely known as La Roja and La Selección, names associated with a red-centered identity and a strong place in the country’s sporting culture. Unlike a club, Spain has no permanent home ground or conventional ownership structure. Home fixtures rotate among major stadiums, with venues such as the Santiago Bernabéu, Wanda Metropolitano, La Cartuja, San Mamés and Mestalla forming part of the wider national-team landscape. This travelling home presence connects the selection with different football regions and cities, while supporters bring red-and-yellow flags, vocal match-day traditions and intense national pride to international fixtures. Spain’s history includes the 1964 European Nations’ Cup triumph and a defining modern golden era from 2008 to 2012. That period brought UEFA Euro 2008, the 2010 FIFA World Cup and UEFA Euro 2012, while possession, close control and rapid passing made the tiki-taka style a global reference point. The team’s major rivalries include Italy, Portugal, France and Germany, with Iberian meetings against Portugal carrying a distinctive regional edge. The senior side is connected to a broader RFEF development pathway involving the Under-17, Under-19 and Under-21 teams. That relationship supports a long-term movement from youth international football into the senior selection, linking technical education, tournament experience and continuity across age groups. Spain’s profile combines this deep historical identity with a contemporary international programme spanning major tournaments, qualifying competitions, Nations League fixtures and friendlies.
Last matches statistics for Spain
| match | shots | Poss. | Pass % | Fouls | Cards | Saves |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Spain
1 - 1
Iraq
|
4 / 13 |
|
90 | 8 | 2 | 1 |
|
Peru
1 - 3
Spain
|
0 / 0 |
|
0% | 0 | - | 0 |
|
Spain
0 - 0
Cape Verde Islands
|
7 / 27 |
|
92 | 10 | 1 | 1 |
|
Spain
4 - 0
Saudi Arabia
|
8 / 22 |
|
92 | 10 | - | 1 |
|
Uruguay
0 - 1
Spain
|
1 / 6 |
|
89 | 14 | 1 | 2 |
|
Spain
3 - 0
Austria
|
10 / 23 |
|
91 | 8 | - | 0 |
|
Portugal
0 - 1
Spain
|
6 / 15 |
|
88 | 13 | 1 | 2 |
|
Spain
2 - 1
Belgium
|
8 / 17 |
|
90 | 13 | 2 | 1 |
|
France
0 - 2
Spain
|
2 / 10 |
|
86 | 12 | 1 | 3 |
|
Spain
1 - 0
Argentina
|
12 / 20 |
|
89 | 21 | - | 0 |
Detailed statistics Spain
Xtra rating history
Last rating points (most recent matches).
shots Spain
Warnings Spain
Passes Spain
Goalkeeper saves Spain
Latest start lineups Spain (XI)
Spain vs Argentina
World Cup 2026 - 1591866
France vs Spain
World Cup 2026 - 1585131
Uruguay vs Spain
World Cup 2026 - 1489417
Spain vs Saudi Arabia
World Cup 2026 - 1489397
Spain vs Serbia
Friendlies 2026 - 1536910
Spain vs Türkiye
World Cup - Qualification Europe 2024 - 1366326
2026
1st shirt
2026
2nd shirt
2022
1st shirt
2022
2nd shirt
2021
1st shirt
2021
2nd shirt
2020
1st shirt
2018-2019
1st shirt
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