Are Spain About to Replicate Their Golden Years Ahead of World Cup 2026?

Spain beat England 2-1 in the final of the 2024 UEFA European Football Championship in Germany, claiming an unprecedented fourth title since the tournament began.

They also won the latest edition of the Nations League football competition in June 2023, beating Croatia 5-4 on penalties in the final, leading many to speculate that Spain are about to replicate their golden years ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

Let’s dive in and take a closer look at Spain’s chances of winning the upcoming FIFA World Cup that’s scheduled to take place at venues across Mexico, the United States, and Canada.

When was Spain’s last Golden Era, and what did they win?

The last golden era for the Spanish men’s national football team was from 2008 to 2012. They won the FIFA World Cup and the UEFA European Football Championship twice during this time.

On June 28, 2008, Spain beat Germany 1-0 in the final of the Euros at the Ernst-Happel-Stadion in Vienna, Austria, thanks to a first-half goal from Fernando Torres in the 33rd minute.

The winning team during this golden era match included the following players:

• Iker Casillas (captain and goalkeeper)
• Sergio Ramos (right back)
• Carlos Marchena (centre back)
• Carles Puyol (centre back)
• Joan Capdevila (left back)
• Marcos Senna (defensive midfield)
• Andres Iniesta (right midfield)
• Xavi (centre midfield)
• Cesc Fabregas (centre midfield)
• David Silva (left midfield)
• Fernando Torres (centre forward)

The substitutes in this match were Xabi Alonso, Santi Cazorla, and Dani Guiza, and the man of the match in this one was the goalscorer, Fernando Torres.

Although a reliable sports bet app download client wasn’t available at the time for smartphones or tablets because the technology wasn’t quite ready, people could still bet online directly from their web browser. Spain went into the match as the clear odds-on favourites, and they didn’t disappoint.

Spain’s next major tournament win came in 2010 at the FIFA World Cup. They beat the Netherlands 1-0 after extra time at the Soccer City stadium in Johannesburg, South Africa, in front of 84,490 spectators.

Their final big win of the golden era occurred at the next Euros. On July 1, 2012, Spain beat Italy 4-0 at the Olympic Stadium in Kyiv in front of 63,170 spectators, ending their impressive run of major tournament wins and putting an end to their golden era.

Can Spain win the 2026 FIFA World Cup?

The 2026 FIFA World Cup is still two years away, and Spain are already the favourites to win. In fact, Spain and Brazil are both currently priced the same, making these two footballing nations the joint odds-on favourites to win the next World Cup.

Both teams are priced at around 6/1 in the fractional odds format, which is 7.00 in decimal odds and +600 in American/moneyline odds. In other words, Spain and Brazil both have a 14.30% chance of winning (implied probability rate).

In comparison, France is currently priced at around 13/2 (7.50 or +650) with a 13.30% IPR, and England is currently priced at around 7/1 (8.00 or +700) with a 12.50% IPR, followed by Argentina, Portugal, Netherlands, and Italy.

What about the next UEFA Nations League tournament?

Spain are the second odds-on favourite to win the next Nations League tournament (the 2024/25 edition), which gets underway in September. They are currently priced at around 6/1 (7.00 or +600), behind the favourites France at around 4/1 (5.00 or +400).

In other words, there is a good chance that Spain’s new golden era team could go on to win both the FIFA World Cup AND the Nations League.

If they can keep the momentum going and win the 2028 Euros, too, which is scheduled to be held at venues across the United Kingdom and Ireland, then they will have achieved more than the original golden era team, who were successful from 2008 to 2012.

Final thoughts

Anything can happen between now and the next major football tournaments, but Spain has a young side, and there’s a good chance they could replicate their 2008-2012 golden era achievements. We will just have to wait and see what happens.

They have been placed in League A Group 4 of the Nations League with Denmark, Serbia, and Switzerland. Their first game is against Serbia on September 5 at the Red Star Stadium (Rajko Mitic Stadium) before facing Switzerland on September 8.

The key Spanish players everyone will be keeping a close eye on are 17-year-old Lamine Yamal (forward), Nico Williams (forward), Gavi (midfielder) and Alvaro Morata (forward).