1958 World Cup Glory

Lore & Background

Spain has been a member of FIFA since its founding in 1904, although the Spanish Football Federation was not established until 1909. The first Spain national football team was created in 1920 to compete the 1920 Summer Olympics in Belgium. Spain made their debut at the tournament on 28 August 1920 against Denmark, silver medalists at the last two Olympic tournaments. Spain won the match 1–0 and eventually finished with the silver medal.

Spain qualified for their first FIFA World Cup in 1934. They defeated Brazil in their first game before losing in the quarter-finals to eventual champions Italy. The Spanish Civil War and World War II prevented Spain from playing any competitive matches between the 1934 World Cup and the 1950 World Cup qualifiers. At the 1950 World Cup in Brazil, Spain topped their group and finished fourth in the tournament.

Until 2010, this was Spain's highest finish at the World Cup. Spain won its first major international title when it hosted the 1964 European Nations' Cup, defeating the Soviet Union 2–1 in the final at the Santiago Bernabéu Stadium. The victory would stand as Spain's lone major title for 44 years.

Reader's Guide

Spain's achievements from 2008 to 2012 have led many experts and commentators to consider them one of the best squads in football history. During this period, Spain became the first national team to win three consecutive major titles, including the World Cup in 2010 and back-to-back European Championships in 2008 and 2012. Spain has won the FIFA Team of the Year award seven times, including every year from 2008 to 2013. Spain has the longest undefeated streak in men's international football, having played 38 consecutive matches since March 2024 without a loss. This streak gave them the highest ever Elo rating, surpassing the 1954 Golden Team from Hungary. Following their 2026 World Cup victory, Spain became the first national team to hold the men’s and women’s World Cup titles simultaneously.