La Roja are ranked number one in the world and have not lost a single game in 90 minutes since the early months of 2024. It is only natural that many fans and pundits are predicting that there will soon be a second star sewn onto the Spanish shirt. With the World Cup finals only a few months away now, the excitement is certainly rising.
Although Spain wasn’t able to repeat its Nations League triumph of 2023, last year was a successful one for the national side, as it navigated its World Cup qualification group, only dropping points in the final game when a place at the finals was already assured. Many saw those performances as a sign that there might be further celebrations ahead.
The finals will be hosted by the US, Mexico, and Canada this summer, and many of the best Canada sports betting sites will have Spain as one of the main favorites to lift the famous trophy. Can Luis de la Fuente repeat the feat of 2010? Or will Spain’s recent troubles at World Cup finals cause problems again?
World Cup Woes
For many years, Spain was everyone’s dark horse that should have done better but usually didn’t even make it to the last eight. Then, in 2010, everything came together. La Roja was undoubtedly the best team on the planet and were able to add the World Cup to their recent European Championship success. The team then went on to win the Euros again in 2012, as it completely dominated the sport.
Spain has been favored ever since to repeat that triumph, but even though there have been very good results in following European Championships, the World Cup has become something of a problem.
The 2014 World Cup was a disaster when the national side exited after just three games. Things were a little better four years later, when Spain topped its group but then lost out to the hosts on penalties in the first knockout round. The most recent tournament in Qatar ended in much the same way, with defeat to Morocco in the round of 16. The first thing that the current squad needs to do is to forget about the past and concentrate on the tournament at hand.
Group Rivals
This World Cup is the largest ever, with 48 nations competing for the biggest prize in international football, so not getting out of the group would be an embarrassment. Even with the improvement of “smaller nations”, Spain is ranked number one and should have no problems progressing to the knockout rounds.
Luis de la Fuente’s men cannot be complacent, of course, but a statement victory over World Cup debutants Cape Verde in the first game is needed. Another win six days later against Saudi Arabia will see Spain qualify with a game to spare, allowing some players to get some rest, if needed. Getting the better of Uruguay in the final group game will still be the aim, as it should help with securing an easier potential route to the final.
Warm Up Games
There will probably only be four more games before Spain’s World Cup 2026 campaign kicks off on June 15th. The first two of those will give players a final chance to impress before the finals squad is announced, and also the opportunity to claim another title. Unlike most other teams, Spain will play a competitive game against Argentina – the Finalissima – bringing the champions of Europe and South America together.
This game is to be played in Qatar and will be taken seriously by both teams, meaning that it should act as a good guide to how Spain matches up against the other best team in the world. Another “friendly”, against Egypt, will take place a few days later, also in Qatar, because of FIFA rules.
Luis de la Fuente will then need to make his final decisions about the squad for the finals. There will probably be two more games in the run-up to the tournament, with one game at home and one in North America the most likely.
Possible Route to Final
Spain will be expecting to win all three of their opening phase games at this summer’s World Cup, or, at the very least, finish top of the group. Anything can happen at a finals, of course, but we can then make a guess at who La Roja might face in a possible route to the final, thanks to the knockout rounds draw.
If Spain tops the group, they will play in Dallas against the runners-up of Group J. That game will be played in Los Angeles, and they might expect to come up against either Algeria or Austria. Argentina should win the group, with debutants Jordan not expected to progress, and Spain would definitely then expect to beat any of those teams to get through to the round of 16.
Although it is increasingly difficult to predict who Spain might play in the later rounds, the round of 16 opponent will be a group runner-up, once again suggesting that Spain will be the better side. If La Roja does win their group in the first place, their half of the bracket could include Belgium, France, the Netherlands, and Germany.
Main Challengers
Plotting a route to the final might be regarded as a waste of time, as there are always shock results at a World Cup. But mostly European opposition in the knockout rounds would probably suit Luis de la Fuente, as his players get to grips with the high temperatures expected at the finals.
Any of those European sides already mentioned should be expected as challengers to Spain this summer, but it might be that the Finalissima acts as the biggest clue as to who will lift the World Cup in July. Argentina will be desperate to win the trophy again to, in all likelihood, send Messi into retirement on a high. To be the best, you have to beat the rest – and it could be that Spain must get the best of Argentina to win a second World Cup this summer.
