2023-06-18 01:49:56
Spain has a golden opportunity this Sunday to expand the record of its senior team in the Nations League final against Croatia, a tournament that celebrates its third final phase and in which Luis de la Fuente’s boys hope to succeed Portugal and France, the two previous winners.
It will be the eighth final of the selection in its history, the eleventh if the three contested in the Olympic Games by the sub-23 are counted. The balance in all of them, so far, is five wins and five losses. That of the Nations, therefore, would be the sixth title since the appearance of the national team in 1920.
world
2010 – Champion – Spain 1 – Holland 0
eurocup
1964 – Champion – Spain 2 – USSR 1
1984 – Finalist – France 2 – Spain 0
2008 – Champion – Spain 1 – Germany 0
2012 – Champion – Spain 4 – Italy 0
Nations League
2021 – Finalist – France 2 – Spain 1
Confederations Cup
2013 – Finalist – Brazil 3 – Spain 0
Olympic Games
1992 – Champion – Spain 3 – Poland 2
2000 – Finalist – Cameroon 3 – Spain 2 (5-3 on penalties)
2020 – Finalist – Brazil 2 – Spain 1
world
No title will be able to surpass in importance the one achieved in the 2010 World Cup in South Africa. Andrés Iniesta scored there, in the 116th minute, the most important goal in the history of Spanish football. It was Vicente del Bosque who led Spain to its first World Cup final, and he did not fail. On no other occasion has he managed to get past the quarterfinals when he has played qualifiers.
Eurocopas
Spain’s favorite tournament if you look at the results. There are three titles in four finals. In 1964 Spain inaugurated its title box in a tournament played at home. In the final against the Soviet Union, goals from Pereda and Marcelino were worth it. José Villalonga was the coach.
Twenty years later Spain repeated the final, this time in France. Miguel Muñoz’s team fell to the hosts (2-0), with goals from Platini and Bellone.
Already in the 21st century, the team began its golden years by winning, with Luis Aragonés on the bench, at Euro 2008, played in Austria and Switzerland. A goal from Fernando Torres decided the final against Germany.
Four years later, Spain repeated the crown after beating Italy in the Euro 2012 final (Ukraine and Poland). Silva, Jordi Alba, Torres and Mata scored.
Nations League
Two years ago now, Spain reached its first Nations League final after qualifying, also for the first time, for the Final Four. It was time to play the final in Milan against France. Spain, led by Luis Enrique, took the lead with a goal from Oyarzabal, but France came back from behind in just two minutes with goals from Benzema and Mbappé, the latter highly controversial.
Confederations Cup
The tournament, which has since disappeared, which brought together the six champion teams from each of the FIFA confederations, recruited Spain on two occasions: 2009 and 2013, the years after winning the Eurocups. In both it was Vicente del Bosque who was sitting on the bench. In 2009 Spain lost in the semifinals against Italy. In 2013 they did reach the final, but they lost resoundingly to Brazil on the night of July 1. The ‘canarinha’ won 3-0 with goals from Fred (2) and Neymar.
Olympic Games
Despite playing with the U-23 team, Spain also boasts of its three Olympic finals. The only gold was achieved in Barcelona 92, in that final at the Montjuic stadium against Poland. He decided a goal from Kiko in minute 90. The man from Cádiz also made it 2-1, while Abelardo was the author of 1-1. Vicente Miera was the selector.
In Sydney 2000, Iñaki Saez’s Olympian fell in the final against Cameroon on penalties. The result at the end of extra time was 2-2. Xavi and Gabri scored for Spain. On penalties, Xavi, Capdevila and Albelda. Iván Amaya failed.
The last lost final is recent, in Tokyo 2020, with Luis de la Fuente on the bench. Brazil took the gold with a goal from Malcom in extra time. In regulation time there were Cunha (1-0) and Oyarzabal (1-1).
#finals #Spain