From 90min to we bring you a review of the 15 World Cups in which the Spanish team has participated. From the year 1934 in which he debuted in a World Cup until 2018 when he fell in the penalty shootout against Russia through Iniesta’s goal against the Netherlands. Do not miss it:
It was the first World Cup for the Spanish team as they did not participate in the 1930 World Cup. They lost to Italy in the tiebreaker match in the quarterfinals. It was the beginning of a long road to reach the top.
They qualified for the final group of the World Cup, but they were last. They did not get a single victory against Sweden, Brazil and Uruguay. The Uruguayan team ended up winning the World Cup.
They were bottom of the group stage. They didn’t just win one game and lose the other two. The Spanish team went through a very dark time before growing as a team and being able to opt for everything. The World Cup was won by Brazil.
They failed to get past the group stage. They won one match and lost the other two. In the group were Germany, Argentina and Switzerland. England ended up winning that World Cup.
Austria, Brazil and Sweden formed the group of Spain, well, they did not get past the round. They lost to Austria in the first match and drew against Brazil in the second, so the chances of going through on the final matchday were slim to none.
In a World Cup with a different format, they managed to get through the first group stage without problems, but in the second when they faced England and West Germany they finished bottom of the group and therefore out of the World Cup.
Butragueño was one of the stars of the World Cup, scoring five goals in five games. In the round of 16 they swept Denmark 5-1, rocketed into the quarterfinals, feeling they could do something big at the World Cup, but lost on penalties to Belgium.
They managed to get through the group stage but Yugoslavia ruined the dream of all the Spaniards. Dragan Stojkovic was the nightmare of La Roja. He scored the first in the 78th minute, Julio Salinas equalized five minutes later and when it seemed that the game was going to extra time, he scored again to leave Spain out of the World Cup.
This image defines what the World Cup was for Spain. Baggio ruined the hopes of all the Spaniards. Italy at that time was one of the superpowers. They reached the final and lost on penalties to Brazil.
In a group where they faced Nigeria, Paraguay and Bulgaria they failed to get past the group stage. They got four points and went home sooner than expected. In that team there were players of the stature of Luis Enrique, Hierro or Raúl.
The World of controversy. Spain felt robbed by the referees. The performances of the referees were unfortunate in the game against Korea. They ended up losing on penalties and the curse that Spain never got past the quarter-finals began to sound.
Spain passed the group stage, and when David Villa scored the first penalty, everyone believed that the Spanish team could finally play a good role in the World Cup, but the Zidane, Ribéry and Vieira shattered the dreams of the Spaniards by coming back from the match and leaving the team in the round of 16. The best was yet to come.
The year in which Iniesta made a country happy with everyone’s goal. A football team has never been seen to show the level shown by the group led by Vicente del Bosque. The best generation of Spanish players in history got together and won one of the best World Cups that will be remembered. South Africa will always be in the hearts of all Spaniards.
The decline of a unique generation came in 2014. After Euro 2012, that group was never the same again. The Netherlands eagerly took on Spain in the Group Stage and endorsed them 5-1. After that, Chile won 0-2 and left the team without the option of going to the round of 16.
A World Cup that was preceded by the controversial dismissal of Lopetegui. The coach signed for Real Madrid just before the World Cup and Rubiales decided to remove him from office. Hierro played interim during the World Cup, but Spain’s game was horrible, a lot of possession and little clarity. They lost on penalties to Russia in the round of 16.
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