Spain national football team

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Spain
Shirt badge/Association crest
Nickname(s) La Furia Roja (The Red Fury)
La Selección La Roja
Association Real Federación
Española de Fútbol
Confederation UEFA (Europe)
Head coach Luis Aragonés (2004–)
Captain Iker Casillas
Most caps Andoni Zubizarreta (126)
Top scorer Raúl (44)
FIFA code ESP
FIFA ranking 4
Highest FIFA ranking 2 (December 1994)
Lowest FIFA ranking 25 (March 1998)
Elo ranking 5
Highest Elo ranking 1 (1920, 1921, 1925, 2002)
Lowest Elo ranking 20 (June 1969, June 1981)
Team colours Team colours Team colours
Team colours
Team colours
 
Home colours
Team colours Team colours Team colours
Team colours
Team colours
 
Away colours
First international
Flag of Spain Spain 1 - 0 Denmark Flag of Denmark
(Brussels, Belgium; 28 August 1920)
Biggest win
Flag of Spain Spain 13 - 0 Bulgaria Flag of Bulgaria
(Madrid, Spain; 21 May 1933)
Biggest defeat
Flag of Italy Italy 7 - 1 Spain Flag of Spain
(Amsterdam, Netherlands; 4 June 1928)
Flag of England England 7 - 1 Spain Flag of Spain
(London, England; 9 December 1931)
World Cup
Appearances 12 (First in 1934)
Best result Fourth place, 1950
European Championship
Appearances 7 (First in 1964)
Best result Winners, 1964
Olympic medal record
Men’s Football
Silver 1920 Antwerp Team
Gold 1992 Barcelona Team
Silver 2000 Sydney Team

The Spain national football team, commonly referred to as La Selección, is the national football team of Spain and is controlled by the Real Federación Española de Fútbol.

Spain has a reputation for underachievement in the FIFA World Cup, with their best finish being fourth place in 1950 despite often being among the pre-tournament favorites. They often start well, but struggle considerably in the later stages, which is frustrating given the team's enormous talent and diligence. They are considered football's greatest underachievers. Their only senior level tournament victory is the 1964 European Championship, which they hosted. They also won the gold medal when they hosted the 1992 Summer Olympics in Barcelona, and in the 1999 World Youth Championship in Nigeria. Their current FIFA ranking is 4th.

Contents

Spain made their international football debut in 1920 at the Olympic Games in Belgium and won with the silver medal. They played their first home international in 1921, beating Belgium 2-0 in Bilbao. They also became the first non-British side to beat England when they won 4-3 in a friendly in Madrid in 1929. Spain however did not enter the 1930 World Cup. Four years later, Spain qualified for the second World Cup in Italy in 1934 and progressed to the quarterfinals where the lost to Italy 1-0 in a replay after a 1-1 draw. The Spanish Civil War and World War II did not see Spain play a competitive match until the 1950 World Cup.

They reached the final four-team group, consisting of the four group winners. The other winners were Brazil, Uruguay, and Sweden. Early success in the tournament eluded them as they gained only one point after losing to Brazil and Sweden and drawing with Uruguay. The 1950 World Cup would be Spain's best ever finish. After the 1950 World Cup Spain entered a period of football wildernes and did not make another major appearance until Euro 60.

Under French-Argentine coach Helenio Herrera, Spain came out of a period of wilderness to qualify for the first European Championship in 1960. At Euro 60, Spain entered into the quarter finals and beat Poland 7-2 on aggregate. However, after a protest against the USSR, Spain was automatically knocked out of the competition.

In 1962 José Villalonga was appointed coach of Spain. Villalonga qualified Spain for the World Cup in 1962 but exited in the first round after facing a tough group 3 consisting of Brazil, Czecholovakia, and Mexico. Two years later they won the European Championship. With a squad that included Luis Suárez, Francisco Gento, Josep Fusté and José Ángel Iribar, Spain beat Romania, Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland in the qualifying rounds before hosting the semi-finals and final. In the semi-finals Spain beat highly favored Hungary 2-1. In the final, Spain beat the USSR 2-1 in front of a crowd of 125,000 at the Bernabéu. Jesus María Pereda put Spain ahead after just six minutes but they needed a late Marcelino Martínez header to win it after Galimzian Khusainov equalised with a free-kick.

As European Champions, Spain qualified for the 1966 World Cup with much of the 1964 squad under José Villalonga but failed to make an impression as they exited in the first round after losing to West Germany and Argentina but defeating Switzerland.

The departure of Villalonga put Spain into another period of wilderness with mixed results. They were knocked out by England in the quarterfinals of the 1968 European Championship knockout stages and did not make it to the final tournament held in Italy. Spain did not qualify for another tournament until Euro 76.

Spain ended a period of wilderness with an impressive undefeated performance in their Euro 76 qualifying group which featured Romania, Scotland, and Denmark. Spain exited in the quarterfinals having been defeated by Germany 3-1 on aggregate.

The 1978 World Cup witnessed Spain comeback to their first world cup since 1966. Spain qualified having defeated Yugoslavia home and away only losing to Romania in Bucharest. In the final tournament Spain were drawn into group 3 with Brazil, Austria, and Sweden. Spain's fortune ended in the first round when they lost to Austria 2-1, drew with Brazil 0-0, and defeated Sweden 1-0.

Euro 80 saw Spain qualify for the first eight-team European championship. After suprassing Romania, Yugoslavia, and Cyprus, Spain was drawn into group B with England, Italy, and Belgium. Spain proved to be the weakest side of the group as they gained only one point after a draw with Italy and losses to England and Belgium.

In 1976 Spain was selected as host of the 1982 FIFA World Cup. This edition of the World Cup featured 24 teams for the first time. Expectations were high for Spain as the host nation under coach José Santamaría. In the group stages, Spain was drawn into Group 5 with Northern Ireland, Yugoslavia, and Honduras. Under pressure to perform well, Spain struggled through their group. On their first day of competition, they could only manage a 1-1 draw with unfancied Honduras. They picked up momentum with an impressive 2-1 victory against Yugoslavia but were defeated 1-0 by Northern Ireland. Despite the defeat, Spain progressed to the second round. Spain was drawn into Group B in the second round with West Germany and England. Spain's campaign ended when they were defeated by West Germany 2-1 and drew 0-0 with England, and as disappointment swept the country, Santamaría was sacked.

After a disappointing World Cup campaign on home soil, Spain were desperate to regain their credibility on the world footballing stage. Former Real Madrid coach Miguel Muñoz, who had temporarily coached Spain in 1969, returned to the national side. Spain topped Euro 84 qualifying Group 7, which consisted of the Netherlands, Republic of Ireland, Iceland, and Malta. Spain passed the qualifying stage unexpectedly, as they had to defeat Malta by an 11-0 scoreline. They did with a 12-1 scoreline (after 3-1 in halftime). In the final tournament, Spain were dubbed as outsiders by bookmakers despite many talented players and a strong football league. Spain were drawn into group B with West Germany, Portugal, and Romania. In their first game, they drew 1-1 with underdogs Romania. Three days later they drew 1-1 again with Portugal. Spain topped the group with an impressive 1-0 victory over West Germany to avenge their defeat two years earlier. The semifinals paired Spain with darkhorses Denmark. After 1-1 at extra time Spain defeated Denmark 5-4 on penalties after Preben Elkjær shot over the bar. Going beyond anyone's expectations Spain reached the final to face the hosts and tournament favorites France. Led by captain Michel Platini, France were tipped as heavy favorites yet Spain however were not shunned out having gone beyond anyone's expectations. Spain were defeated 2-0 after a goalless first half and finished a runners up to create their second-best finish in European Championship history.

To build on their impressive Euro 84 performance, Muñoz helped Spain qualify for the 1986 World Cup in Mexico. Spain progressed in qualifying having topped Group 7 with Scotland, Wales, and Iceland. Muñoz took Spain to Mexico with a mixed squad of new and veteran players. Spain's group in the final tournament consisted of Brazil, Northern Ireland, and Algeria. Spain began the tournament nervously losing to Brazil 1-0. However, they progressed after 2-1 and 3-0 victories over Northern Ireland and Algeria respectively. Round 2 paired Spain with Denmark who topped their group from all three victories. In what was one of the strangest World Cup games, Spain defeated Denmark 5-1 with Emilio Butragueño scoring four goals. Spain progressed to the quarterfinals to face Belgium who had impressively defeated the USSR 4-3. Spain's quarter-final with Belgium finished 1-1 after extra time failed to produce a goal. Their 1986 campaign ended when they were defeated 5-4 on penalties. Despite their quarterfinal exit, the squad of 1986 was the highest scoring Spanish team.

Muñoz was retained as coach for Euro 88. As in the several previous tournaments Spain qualified impressively in a group with Austria, Romania, and Albania. Spain were drawn into group A with West Germany, Italy, and Denmark. They began their tournament with a 3-2 victory over Denmark. However, their luck ended when they were knocked out in the group stage after defeats respective 1-0 and 2-0 to Italy and West Germany.

The 90s began with Spain looking to perform well and compensate for poor performances at Euro 88 at the 1990 World Cup in Italy. For 1990, Spain's new coach Luis Suárez selected many new players including Manuel Jiménez, Genar Andrinúa, and Martín Vázquez. Spain qualified from a group consisting of Republic of Ireland, Hungary, Northern Ireland, and Malta. Before the tournament Spain looked impressive by going almost undefeated in their friendly and qualifier games. In the final tournament Spain was in group E with Belgium, Uruguay, and Korea Republic. Spain began with a less than expected 0-0 draw with Urugauy. They later defeated Korea 3-1 and avenged Belgium 2-1 after 1986. Spain's impressive first round performance was tarnished by a 2-1 defeat to Yugoslavia in the second round. As a reuslt Spain exited earlier than expected had disappointed their fans for not improving on their 1986 campaign.

Further disappointment followed when newly appointed coach Vicente Miera failed to qualify Spain for Euro 92 after finishing third in a group behind France and Czechoslovakia. Vicente Miera did however lead Spain to the gold medal at the 1992 Olympics in Barcelona.

Javier Clemente was appointed as Spain's coach in 1992 in hopes of bringing home a major international trophy. The 1994 World Cup was once again a testing ground for Spain's ability to perform well at the senior level. Spain qualified very impressively with nineteen points from twelve matches, a twenty three goal differential, and ranked as number five in Europe. In the final tournament Spain were drawn in Group C with Germany, Bolivia, and Korea Republic. The Spaniards were expected to easily progress to the second round alongside Germany. In their first game Spain drew with Korea 2-2 having given up a 2-0 lead. Three days later they drew 1-1 with Germany also giving up the lead. Spain qualified for the second round as expected with a 3-1 victory over Bolivia. Spain continued their success in the second round with a 3-0 victory over Switzerland. Their success ended with a controversial 2-1 defeat to Italy in the quarter-finals. A nasty and bloody foul committed by Mauro Tassotti towards Luis Enrique left the Spanish midfielder's nose broken in the penalty box, but with no penalty call given, Roberto Baggio would score the game winner for Italy in the last minutes. The 1994 campaign was seen as one of Spain's best despite the disappoinment. Spain were once again left searching for a performance beyond the quarter-finals.

Clemente was hoping to build on their impressive yet disappointing performance in 1994 to perform well at Euro 96. Spain qualified as expected with impressive results from their group consisting of Denmark, Belgium, Cyprus, Macedonia, and Armenia. The final tournament witnessed Spain in a group with France, Romania, and Bulgaria. Their first game once again proved to be below expectations as they failed to beat Bulgaria and drew 1-1. After Bulgaria, Spain faced what proved to be a very strong French side but fought to sluggish 1-1 draw. Spain confirmed their place in the quarter-finals with a 2-1 win over a weak Romanian squad. To their misery Spain once again fell in the quarter-finals, this time the hosts England on penalties.

In his second World Cup as Spain's coach, Clemente put his team through intensive training to try to put themselves as serious contenders to do well at the 1998 World Cup in France after yet another dismal performance at Euro 96. Many new rising stars such as Raúl González and Fernando Morientes were giving Spanish fans hope for the upcoming tournament. Despite falling in the world rankings to a record low before the World Cup, Spain went undefeated in their qualifying group with Yugoslavia and Czech Republic being the other contenders. Spain qualified with fourteen other European sides in the first ever thirty-two team World Cup. Group D consisted of Spain, Bulgaria, Paraguay, and Nigeria, many considered this group to be the Group of Death of the entire tournament. In their first game against African powers Nigeria, Spain led 1-0 and 2-1 in each half with much superiority. However, Nigeria amazingly turned the game around in the last twenty minutes and won 3-2 largely in part by an error made by all-time capped Spanish goalkeeper Andoni Zubizarreta. This defeat left Spain's hopeful campaign in ruins and sent Javier Clemente searching for answers. Their second game was a minor improvement, but left Spanish fans disappointed once again as Spain could only manage a 0-0 draw with Paraguay. After only a point from their first two games, Spain needed to rely on Nigeria and Paraguay drawing their match in order to qualify. In their last group game Spain fought valiantly to crush Bulgaria 6-1 hoping that goal differential would send them through. Spain's hopes did not go as planned as Paraguay defeated Nigeria 3-1. Spain were eliminated in the first round with only four points and finished third behind Paraguay and Nigeria. This was by far one of the most disappointing Spanish campaigns in recent times.

After a 3-2 opening defeat to Cyprus in Euro 2000 qualifying Clemente was sacked and José Antonio Camacho was promptly appointed as coach. Camacho immediately turned Spain's campaign around and Spain won the rest of their games to qualify for Euro 2000. Once again Spain's hopes rested on a new coach a young players such as Raúl González, Fernando Morientes, Míchel Salgado, and Juan Carlos Valerón. In the final tournament Spain were in group C with Norway, Slovenia, and Yugoslavia. As always, Spain started their campaign with disappointment, losing 1-0 to Norway. But Spain got back into the tournament with a 2-1 victory over Slovenia. Their last game proved to be another nerve wreck as they looked to be going out of the tournament. Their last game was against Balkan powerhouse Yugoslavia. Spain started the match nervously by going down 1-0 with a Yugoslavian goal from Milošević. Alfonso Pérez was able to put a goal back for Spain in the 38th minute ending the first half with a 1-1 score. However, shortly after halftime Spain went down again 2-1 but made it 2-2 on 51 minutes with a goal by Pedro Munitis. Spain went down yet again 3-2 for the third time at 75 minutes. With only fifteen minutes left Spain desperately searched for an equalizer. After throwing every player forward Spain was still down 3-2, but at the 90th minute another Spanish goal from a late penalty by Fernandez Abelardo and a dramatic second goal by Alfonso Pérez in the dying seconds of stoppage time turned the game around making the final score 4-3 for Spain. Spain finished at the top of group C to book a quarterfinal clash with 1998 World Cup Champions, France. After a dramatic clash with Yugoslavia, Spain were confident in shocking the world champions. The game began with a dramatic first half with bombardment of both goals. The half ended 2-1 for France despite a late penalty for Spain which was missed by Raul. Despite a strong Spanish attack France held on to win and knock Spain out prematurely. Disappointment and saddness swept Spain as the team could not impress their fans and suffered yet another quarterfinal exit.

Spain hoped once again for a good World Cup impression in 2002 in the Far East. Qualifying went as expected for Spain as they topped an easy group consisting of Austria, Israel, Bosnia & Herzegovina, and Liechtenstein. Under Camacho Spain hoped that lessons learned from Euro 2000 would bring them better luck. In the final tournament Spain were drawn into group B with Slovenia, Paraguay, and South Africa. This time Spain began the World Cup very strongly with 3-1 victories over Slovenia and Paraguay and a 3-2 victory over South Africa. Spain topped the group with nine points to face off a second round contest with the Republic of Ireland. Goals by Fernando Morientes for Spain and Robbie Keane for the Republic of Ireland led both teams to a penalty shootout. After several misses and scores from both sides, Spain came out on top with a 3-2 victory. Spain booked a quarterfinal berth with hosts Korea Republic who upset Italy in round two. Spanish fans were confident this was the year Spain was to progress beyond the quarterfinals in any major tournament since Euro 84. After a hard fought 120 minutes and disallowed goals, Spain faced another penalty shootout. Spain scored three penalties as did Korea. However, Spain's worst nightmare became reality after Joaquín had his penalty saved. Korea scored their last two penalties through Ahn Jung-Hwan and Hong Myung-Bo to knock Spain out of the 2002 World Cup. Spanish fans were shocked by another successive quarterfinal exit.

At Euro 2004 in Portugal, Spain were drawn into group A with Portugal, Russia and Greece. After coming into second after Greece in qualifying, Spain looked very strong. The Spanish team were touted as heavy favorites for the 2004 crown by the European media. They possessed new and fresh players such as Fernando Torres and Xabi Alonso under new coach Iñaki Sáez. Spain were also hoping that the tournaments proximity would contribute to their success. On June 12th, Spain expectedly defeated Russia, 1-0. Four days later Spain faced Greece. Determined to win, Spain led the match until Greece scored an equalizer and the match ended 1-1. In their last game against Portugal, Spain needed to draw to qualify for the quarterfinals. However, a goal from Nuno Gomes faded Spain's hopes of advancing. The same day Greece were defeated 2-1 by Russia but moved ahead to claim second place on goal difference. As a result Spain were eliminated from Euro 2004 in the first round that consisted of the tournament's eventual finalists in Portugal and Greece. This exit was considered the most disappointing result since the 1998 World Cup. Iñaki Sáez was sacked only weeks later and replaced by Luis Aragonés.

Under Luis Aragonés, Spain struggled throughout the 2006 World Cup qualifying stage. Spain were in group 7 with Serbia & Montenegro, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Belgium, Lithuania, and San Marino. Despite mixed results including five wins and draws, Spain qualified for a playoff spot with Slovakia. Spain qualified for the final tournament after defeating Slovakia 6-2 on aggregate. Many didn't know what to expect of Spain heading into Germany; despite almost failing to qualify, the Spanish side had many talented players. Spain were drawn into Group H with Ukraine, Saudi Arabia, and Tunisia. Spain won their opening game over Ukraine in a comfortable 4-0 result, with two goals from David Villa and one each for Fernando Torres and Xabi Alonso. The first penalty of the tournament was awarded after Vladislav Vaschuk was sent off for pulling on Torres. Spain won their second game against Tunisia 3-1. A goal in the 8th minute through Jawhar Mnari put Tunisia ahead, but Spain scored through Raúl in the 71st min and Fernando Torres in the 76th min. Fernando Torres scored from the penalty spot in injury time to get his second goal in the game. Spain beat Saudi Arabia by 1-0 in Kaiserslautern on the 23 June. However Spain fell 3-1 in the second round by the more experienced France team. Spanish fans once again faced a premature exit and a performance below expectations. Spain and Brazil shared the 2006 FIFA Fair Play Award.

Spain started its qualifying round on September 2, 2006 for Euro 2008 by beating Liechtenstein 4-0 in Badajoz. But were then upset by Northern Ireland 3-2 in Belfast on September 6, 2006. A second straight defeat - a 2-0 loss to Sweden - followed on October 7, 2006. However a 2-1 win against Denmark on March 24, 2007 in Madrid along with a goal from Andrés Iniesta giving Spain a 1-0 victory at home to Iceland on March 28, 2007 has put new life into Spain's campaign. On June 2 they won 2-0 at Latvia and four days later they won against Liechtenstein 2-0. Both goals were scored by David Villa in that game. Spain's hopes for a 5-match winning streak were halted at Reykjavik, when Iceland held Spain to a 1-1 draw. Iniesta managed to save the point for Spain after he scored a late goal in that match. Their winning ways resumed at Oviedo, when Xavi and Torres gave Spain a 2-0 win against Latvia. Spain's next opponent was Denmark, who they defeated 3-1 at Aarhus, a result that is expected to be definitive for the Spanish team's chances to qualify for the final round of the European Championships. On November 18, 2007, Spain beat Sweden 3-0 with goals from Joan Capdevila, Andres Iniesta, and Sergio Ramos, qualifying themselves for Euro 2008. On 21 November, they got revenge on Northern Ireland by beating them 1-0, thereby ruining their chances of qualifying. Spain was the most impressive team at the Euro 2008 qualifications. Many strong teams ended up in 2nd place while Spain finished at the top of group F.

Spain's traditional kit was a red jersey with yellow trim with blue shorts and blue socks. Their current change kit is with a gold jersey. The kits are currently manufactured by Adidas.

Year Round Position GP W D* L GS GA
Flag of Uruguay 1930 Did Not Enter - - - - - - -
Flag of Italy 1934 Quarter-final 5 3 1 1 1 4 3
Flag of France 1938 Did Not Enter - - - - - - -
Flag of Brazil 1950 Fourth place 4 6 3 1 2 10 12
Flag of Switzerland 1954 Did Not Qualify - - - - - - -
Flag of Sweden 1958 Did Not Qualify - - - - - - -
Flag of Chile 1962 Round 1 12 3 1 0 2 2 3
Flag of England 1966 Round 1 10 3 1 0 2 4 5
Flag of Mexico 1970 Did Not Qualify - - - - - - -
Flag of West Germany 1974 Did Not Qualify - - - - - - -
Flag of Argentina 1978 Round 1 10 3 1 1 1 2 2
Flag of Spain 1982 Round 2 12 5 1 2 2 4 5
Flag of Mexico 1986 Quarter-final 7 5 3 1 1 11 4
Flag of Italy 1990 Round of 16 10 4 2 1 1 6 4
Flag of the United States 1994 Quarter-final 8 5 2 2 1 10 6
Flag of France 1998 Round 1 17 3 1 1 1 8 4
Flag of South KoreaFlag of Japan 2002 Quarter-final 5 5 3 2 0 10 5
Flag of Germany 2006 Round of 16 9 4 3 0 1 9 4
Total 12/18 - 49 22 12 15 80 57
*Denotes draws include knockout matches decided on penalty kicks.
**Gold background color indicates that the tournament was won. Red border color indicates tournament was held on home soil.

Year Round GP W D* L GS GA
Flag of France 1960 Did not Qualify - - - - - -
Flag of Spain 1964 Champions 4 4 0 0 11 3
Flag of Italy 1968 Did not Qualify - - - - - -
Flag of Belgium 1972 Did not Qualify - - - - - -
Flag of Yugoslavia 1976 Did not Qualify - - - - - -
Flag of Italy 1980 Round 1 3 0 1 2 2 4
Flag of France 1984 Runners-up 5 1 3 1 4 5
Flag of West Germany 1988 Round 1 3 1 0 2 3 5
Flag of Sweden 1992 Did not Qualify - - - - - -
Flag of England 1996 Quarter-final 4 1 3 0 4 3
Flag of BelgiumFlag of the Netherlands 2000 Quarter-final 4 2 0 2 7 7
Flag of Portugal 2004 Round 1 3 1 1 1 2 2
Flag of AustriaFlag of Switzerland 2008 Qualified
Total 8/13 30 10 9 11 31 32
*Denotes draws include knockout matches decided on penalty kicks.
**Gold background color indicates that the tournament was won. Red border color indicates tournament was held on home soil.

The following players named for Euro 2008 qualifying matches against Sweden on November 17, 2007 and against Northern Ireland on November 21, 2007.[1]

Caps and goals as of 24 November.

No. Pos. Player DoB/Age Caps Goals Club
1 GK Iker Casillas (Captain) 20 May 1981 73 0 Flag of Spain Real Madrid
2 DF Raul Albiol 4 September 1985 2 0 Flag of Spain Valencia
3 DF Mariano Pernia 4 May 1977 11 1 Flag of Spain Atletico Madrid
4 DF Carlos Marchena 31 July 1979 38 2 Flag of Spain Valencia
5 DF Carles Puyol 13 April 1978 58 1 Flag of Spain Barcelona
6 MF David Albelda 1 September 1977 50 0 Flag of Spain Valencia
7 FW David Villa 3 December 1981 23 13 Flag of Spain Valencia
8 MF Xavi Hernández 25 January 1980 53 5 Flag of Spain Barcelona
9 FW Fernando Torres 20 March 1984 45 15 Flag of England Liverpool
10 FW Daniel González Güiza 17 August 1980 1 0 Flag of Spain RCD Mallorca
14 DF Joan Capdevila 3 February 1978 14 1 Flag of Spain Villarreal
15 DF Sergio Ramos 30 March 1986 30 4 Flag of Spain Real Madrid
16 MF Andrés Iniesta 11 May 1984 20 5 Flag of Spain Barcelona
17 MF Joaquín Sánchez 21 July 1981 51 4 Flag of Spain Valencia
18 MF Cesc Fàbregas 4 May 1987 22 0 Flag of England Arsenal
19 MF Marcos Senna 17 July 1976 8 0 Flag of Spain Villarreal
20 MF Albert Riera 15 April 1982 2 1 Flag of Spain Espanyol
21 MF David Silva 8 January 1986 11 2 Flag of Spain Valencia
22 DF Pablo Ibáñez 3 August 1981 22 0 Flag of Spain Atletico Madrid
23 FW Raúl Tamudo 19 October 1977 13 5 Flag of Spain Espanyol
25 GK José Reina 31 August 1982 10 0 Flag of England Liverpool


The following players have all recently been called up to the Spain squad. Bracket shows last call-up time.

No. Pos. Player DoB/Age Caps Goals Club
GK Victor Valdes 23 July 1982 13 0 Flag of Spain Barcelona (Euro 2008 qual. v. Latvia, 28 March)
DF Alberto Lopo 5 May 1980 0 0 Flag of Spain Deportivo (Friendly v. Romania, 15 November)
DF Míchel Salgado 22 October 1975 53 0 Flag of Spain Real Madrid (Euro 2008 qual. v. N. Ireland, 6 September)
DF Javier Navarro 6 February 1974 2 0 Flag of Spain Sevilla (Euro 2008 qual. v. Liechtenstein, 6 June)
DF Antonio Lopez 13 September 1981 16 1 Flag of Spain Atletico Madrid (Euro 2008 qual. v. Liechtenstein, 6 June)
DF Angel Lopez 10 March 1981 2 0 Flag of Spain Villarreal (Euro 2008 qual. v. Latvia, 12 September)
MF Xabi Alonso 25 November 1981 39 1 Flag of England Liverpool (Euro 2008 qual. v. Iceland, 8 September)
MF Marcos Senna 17 July 1976 7 0 Flag of Spain Villarreal (Friendly v. Romania, 15 November)
MF Borja Oubiña 17 May 1982 2 0 Flag of England Birmingham (Friendly v. Romania, 15 November)
MF Luis García Sanz 24 June 1978 18 4 Flag of Spain Atlético Madrid (Friendly v. Romania, 15 November)
FW Fernando Morientes 5 April 1976 47 27 Flag of Spain Valencia (Euro 2008 qual. v. Iceland, 28 March)
FW Roberto Soldado 27 May 1985 2 0 Flag of Spain Real Madrid (Euro 2008 qual. v. Liechtenstein, 6 June)
FW Ángel Javier Arizmendi 3 March 1984 1 0 Flag of Spain Valencia (friendly v. England, 7 February)
FW José Antonio Reyes 1 September 1983 21 4 Flag of Spain Atletico Madrid (Friendly v. Argentina, 11 October)
FW Raúl González 27 June 1977 102 44 Flag of Spain Real Madrid (Euro 2008 qual. v. N. Ireland, 6 September 2006)


As of June 6, 2007, the ten players with the most caps for Spain are:

# Name Career Caps Goals
1 Andoni Zubizarreta 1985-1998 126 0
2 Raúl 1996-2006 102 44
3 Fernando Hierro 1989-2002 89 29
4 José Antonio Camacho 1975-1988 81 0
5 Rafael Gordillo 1978-1988 75 3
6 Iker Casillas 2000- 73 0
7 Emilio Butragueño 1984-1992 69 26
8 Luis Arconada 1977-1985 68 0
9 Míchel 1985-1992 66 21
10 Luis Enrique 1991-2002 62 12
= Miguel Ángel Nadal 1991-2002 62 3

As of June 6, 2007, the twenty players with the most goals for Spain are:

# Player Career Goals (Caps)
1 Raúl 1996- 44 (102)
2 Fernando Hierro 1989-2002 29 (89)
3 Fernando Morientes 1998- 27 (47)
4 Emilio Butragueño 1984-1992 26 (69)
5 Alfredo Di Stéfano 1957-1961 23 (31)
= Julio Salinas 1986-1996 23 (56)
7 Míchel 1985-1992 21 (66)
8 Telmo Zarraonaindía 1945-1951 20 (20)
9 Isidro Lángara 1932-1936 17 (12)
10 Luis Regueiro 1927-1936 16 (25)
= Pirri 1966-1978 16 (41)
12 Fernando Torres 2003- 15 (43)
= Santillana 1975-1985 15 (56)
13 Luis Suárez 1957-1972 14 (32)
15 Estanislao Basora 1949-1957 13 (22)
= Julen Guerrero 1993-2000 13 (41)
= David Villa 2005- 13 (23)
18 Luis Enrique 1991-2002 12 (62)
19 Ladislao Kubala 1953-1961 11 (19)
= Alfonso Pérez 1992-2000 11 (38)
= Amancio Amaro 1962-1974 11 (42)

Spain national under-21 football team

Spain national youth football team (Includes U-17, U-18, U-19, U-20)

Preceded by
1960 - USSR Flag of the Soviet Union
European Champions
1964 (First title)
Succeeded by
1968 - Italy Flag of Italy
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