Spain

Spain, known as La Roja, are one of football's most decorated nations — record four-time European Champions and 2010 World Cup winners — whose tiki-taka style redefined the international game in the late 2000s and early 2010s.

Spain entered international football at the 1920 Olympics, defeating Denmark 1–0 in their first match. Their earliest major honour came at the 1964 European Nations' Cup, won on home soil, but sustained success remained elusive for decades while the team cycled through talented squads that fell short in major tournaments.

Everything changed from 2008 onward. Under coaches Luis Aragonés and Vicente del Bosque, Spain claimed back-to-back European Championships (2008, 2012) and the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa — becoming the first European side to lift the trophy outside Europe. Their possession-based tiki-taka football, built around Xavi, Iniesta, and a generation of La Masia graduates, is widely regarded as one of the greatest international sides ever assembled.

After a transitional period, a new generation emerged. Spain won the 2023 UEFA Nations League and, at UEFA Euro 2024, claimed a record fourth European title under Luis de la Fuente, led by captain Rodri and a fresh crop of talents including Lamine Yamal and Nico Williams.