Spain has shown that it has made a strong comeback to the top level, having finished the group stage of the 2026 World Cup undefeated and achieving a feat it hadn’t accomplished since winning the World Cup in 2010.

Luis de la Fuente’s team recorded two wins and one draw in Group 8, defeating Saudi Arabia 4-0 and Uruguay 1-0, while in their opening match they drew 0-0 against Cape Verde.

This is the first time since the 2010 World Cup in South Africa that the “Roja” have managed to celebrate at least two wins in a single tournament.

It is worth noting that after winning the trophy in 2010, Spain’s performance in subsequent World Cups did not match that success. In 2014 in Brazil, they finished the group stage with one win and two losses, in 2018 in Russia, they had one win and three draws (with games decided by penalty kicks counting as draws), while in Qatar in 2022, they recorded one win, two draws, and one loss.

Its performance in this year’s tournament shows that Spain has regained stability and effectiveness, qualities that allow it to enter the knockout stage with heightened ambitions for a deep run.

*photo source: AP