Spain 2010 World Cup : The best national team of all time?
The Spain World Cup Team 2010: The Greatest National team of all-time
Ten years have passed since one of the greatest – if not the greatest – national teams lifted the World Cup trophy in South Africa in 2010.
Spain were the best of the best for five years between 2008 and 2012. During that time, they lifted the European Championship trophy in 2008 and 2012 and, of course, the 2010 World Cup trophy in South Africa.
The journey to the treble of trophies was a long time coming for La Roja. After years of near-misses and underachievement, Spain’s gold generation – produced largely thanks to Barcelona and Real Madrid – become an unstoppable machine.
Spain 2010 World Cup Squad
Goalkeepers
Iker Casillas (Real Madrid), Jose Reina (Liverpool), Victor Valdes (Barcelona);
Defenders
Raul Albiol (Real Madrid, Alvaro Arbeloa (Real Madrid), Joan Capdevila (Villarreal), Carlos Marchena (Valencia), Gerard Pique (Barcelona), Carles Puyol (Barcelona), Sergio Ramos (Real Madrid);
Midfielders
Xabi Alonso (Real Madrid), Sergi Busquets (Barcelona), Cesc Fabregas (Arsenal), Andres Iniesta (Barcelona), Javi Martinez (Athletic Bilbao), David Silva (Valencia), Xavi (Barcelona);
Forwards
Jesus Navas (Sevilla), Juan Manuel Mata (Valencia), Pedro Rodriguez (Barcelona), Fernando Llorente (Athletic Bilbao), Fernando Torres (Liverpool), David Villa (Valencia).
Euro 2008 - The Catalyst of Spain’s World Cup Success
Spain’s journey to World Cup 2010 success started at the Euro 2008 tournament.
Under the management of Luis Aragones, Spain topped Group D with nine points from nine. A 4-1 win over Russia kickstarted the campaign. La Roja then defeated Sweden 2-1 and Greece by the same scoreline. David Villa starred for Spain scoring four times during the group stage.
A dramatic penalty win over the reigning World Cup champions Italy, 4-2, sent Spain to the semifinals against Russia. Their second meeting finished in a 3-0 win, setting up a final versus Germany. Fernando Torres’ goal in the 33rd minute was enough for the tika-taka style Spain played, to claim their first success in over four decades.
Spain’s win in Vienna propelled them to the top of the football world. The Euro 2008 win was the catalyst to La Roja’s performance in South Africa and what put fear into the minds of opponents before a ball was even kicked in anger.
David Villa celebrates winning Euro 2008 with the Spain team
Even with a new man in charge of the team, Vincente del Bosque, Spain lost little of their edge from the Euros 2008. In fact, the team were better under Del Bosque’s tutelage.
Aragones stepped down from the manager’s post shortly after Euro 2008. His feat was remarkable due to Spain’s 44-year trophy drought. In subsequent interviews, however, Aragones stated he didn’t want to leave. Rather, the manager contested he was pushed out of the national team position.
It was the managerial change that cast a slight shadow over the national team. Yet, that shadow wouldn’t leave a long-lasting effect on La Roja when World Cup qualifying began.
A Perfect World Cup Qualifying Campaign
Spain’s qualification for the World Cup started with a perfect qualifying campaign.
Under Del Bosque, La Roja recorded 30 points from 10 games. Although there can be questions over the quality of opponents they faced off against, the simple result was that Spain had gone through five World Cup qualifying contenders and pretenders.
Wins over Bosnia and Herzegovina, Turkey, Belgium, Estonia, and Armenia left Spain on top of Group 5 and sent them to South Africa as one of the favourites to land the World Cup trophy.
The David Villa Effect
David Villa, still a Valencia player, picked up right where he had left off at the Euro 2008 tournament.
Long a highly regarded striker with Los Che, Villa showed he could score goals on an international level. His World Cup 2010 qualifying performances were one reason Barcelona splashed €40 million on him before the South Africa tournament kicked off.
While Villa was the star of qualifying, other players became household names as Spain’s results were a team performance. Gerard Pique, Andres Iniesta, Xavi, and David Silva became well-known outside of La Liga circles. Suddenly, they were worldwide football superstars.
The Journey to the 2010 World Cup Trophy
To say expectations were high that Spain would win the World Cup 2010 would be an understatement.
Many leading sportsbooks had taken evaluation of Spain’s Euro 2008 and qualifying performances and placed them as the tournament’s favourite. They were right to do so.
A 6-0 thrashing of Poland in a pre-tournament warm-up increased expectations for the team. Spain were unbeaten in 47 of 48 games leading up to the competition. As the World Cup approached, however, it appeared Spain’s golden generation was getting ahead of themselves.
The 2010 World Cup Group Stages
Their cockiness showed in a flat performance to start the group stage. Switzerland’s Gelson Fernandes scored in the 51st minute sending Spain crashing to defeat at the first hurdle. Spain didn’t do anything wrong per se, but they couldn’t get past Swiss goalkeeper Diego Benaglio.
Suddenly, the World Cup favourites were fearing for their lives. They had to win back-to-back group games to progress to the knockout round. First up was Honduras, who were dispatched 2-0 thanks to two goals from Villa.
Spain needed a win versus Chile to advance. Once again, Villa stepped up when it mattered. He bagged a third goal in two games following on from an Iniesta opener. Chile’s Rodrigo Millar pulled a goal back but Spain’s defence weathered a late storm to qualify for the knockout stage.
World Cup 2010 South Africa - All Goals
The 2010 World Cup Knockout rounds
Spain faced off with Cristiano Ronaldo’s Portugal in the round of 16. La Roja had spent the tournament, for the most part, unable to convert chances.
That trend was not reversed against Portugal as a solitary goal from Villa around the hour mark put them through.
Paraguay were waiting in the quarterfinals as the tournament had seen many of the top nations including Brazil, Argentina, and Italy already knocked out.
Paraguay were a team with the potential to defeat the favourites and for 82 minutes, it looked like they just might. With just eight minutes to play, Villa again scored for the Spanish setting them up for a semifinal versus Germany.
If fans hoped goals would flow against Germany, they were disappointed once again as La Roja struggled to score.
The good news for Del Bosque’s team was that Germany also struggled in front of goal. Barcelona stalwart Carles Puyol scored the winner for Spain in a 1-0 victory. Puyol’s goal made him only the third goalscorer Spain had at the World Cup 2010.
The goal was very un-Spain as Puyol rose above the heads to nod home Xavi’s corner. It may not have been as majestic as Villa’s strikes, but it counted all the same.
The 2010 World Cup Final - The Dirty Dutch
The final was set with Spain clashing with the Netherlands. The Dutch had played well throughout the tournament, justifying their qualification to the final. While fans expected a showpiece match of beautiful football between the Netherlands and Spain, it turned out to be a fixture full of fouls and scrappy play.
World Cup Final 2010 Team Lineups - Spain Vs The Netherlands
Spain should have never won the final.
The game went to extra time where Netherlands player Arjen Robben missed two late chances that would have put his team ahead. His missed chances allowed Iniesta to get the game-winner in the 116th minute. The goal came just seven minutes after Netherlands defender John Heitinga was sent off.
While Iniesta’s goal settled the game, it wasn’t a goal or defence-cutting pass that most people remember of the final. Nor is Spain winning the World Cup the first thing fans talk about when recalling the 2010 tournament.
Nigel De Jong’s kung-fu kick on Xabi Alonso is the most remembered part of the game. Remarkably, referee Howard Webb gave De Jong a yellow card rather than red. Years later, Webb would confess he should have given out a red.
Had the red card been given out, the Dutch would have had to play 60 minutes of regular time with a man down. Extra-time may not have been needed.
Although Spain did not play their best football, the ease of qualifying, the previous tournament win and of course what was yet to come certainly makes this team one of the best ever, and one that makes our list of the greatest teams ever.
The World Cup 2010 was the defining moment of Spain’s treble. They would lift the Euro 2012 trophy just two summers later in the final act of La Roja’s golden generation.
Check out our list of the Top 5 Spanish players or all time, and our profiles of the young Spanish players that are trying to emulate them.
Check out our football blog for more!
