Why Spain Won The World Cup

AN ARTICLE BY MATTY

After 104 games including a frankly rancid and embarrassing final, the World Cup is finally over. Spain, my favorite to win throughout the tournament, are deserving champions. This article is meant to show what convinced me of their ability and why I mostly stayed firm in my belief that they were the best team and would ultimately win the biggest prize in football.

Spain’s squad itself is where I’ll start. Their dominance reminds me of one of the golden rules of modern football: defenders and attackers matter, but midfielders are what win and lose games in this day and age. It’s why the fees for great midfielders are getting so expensive: they are the most valuable players on the field. Spain’s midfield was an embarrassment of riches, much like their previous golden era when David Silva and Cesc Fabregas weren’t even starting because of the Barcelona trio of Iniesta, Xavi and Busquets. Rodri and Pedri were the initial starters, with Rodri in particular finally playing himself back into peak form after a rough injury comeback with Manchester City. Pedri was brilliant at connecting the play, but was eventually supplanted by the forever underrated Fabian Ruiz, who has long been one of my favorite players. Like so many Spanish players, Ruiz is confident on the ball, almost always making the right decision. Taller and more of a physical matchup in fuels compared to the small Pedri, Ruiz offered Spain even more defensive solidity and structure while connecting the play with short passes or dribbles. There’s a reason the midfield of Ruiz, Vitinha and Joao Neves has won two Champions League titles in a row.

Dani Olmo is another one of my favorite players and perhaps the closest we will see to a Firmino clone. He does so many little things well, you can’t quite quantify everything he does but every single team he plays for is noticeably better when he’s playing for them. He’s a willing and aggressive presser, creative and expansive in his passing, and likes to take shots on goal while always being aware of teammates potentially having better opportunities. Fermin Lopez, his backup at both Barcelona and Spain, had a breakout season and didn’t play much during the tournament but offers similar qualities to Olmo. Mikel Merino is a vibrant example of the culture of the Spanish team that I’ll talk about later. Using his face to stop a Messi shot in the 117th minute is legendary stuff, not even mentioning his penchant for scoring late winning goals for both Spain and Arsenal. Another big, physical yet technically gifted player who can run for days. Martin Zubimendi, a key figure throughout Arsenal’s league-winning season, could barely even get a minute, yet filled in admirably in the final when Rodri had to come off in extra time due to fatigue. Much like the 2024 Euros final, when he came in for an injured Rodri at halftime and dominated proceedings. They even had a likable former wonderkid Gavi to round things out.

The reason Spain won the Euros and why I backed them to win the World Cup, even with that incredible blend of quality in midfield, was ultimately their wingers. Spain rode Lamine Yamal and Nico Williams to victory at the Euros, as they offered the direct and incisive cutting edge that Spain has lacked for so long. Spain was almost always the team that’d bore you to death by playing 1000 passes but would never score because they didn’t have the players to win 1v1 matchups on the wings or through the middle. Yamal and Williams, with their speed and decision-making, provided the difference. Alex Baena was a player I admittedly didn’t know too much about before the tournament, and now I must admit I quite like him. He’s skilled, another player who runs for days and presses constantly, has the speed to beat his man and the mind to know when to do it. Williams missed time throughout the tournament due to a nagging hamstring injury, and Baena stepped right in and played very well. Victor Munoz, Liverpool’s new boy, was brought into the team for a similar reason: direct play style, with the ability to dribble past defenders and create chances.

One player stood out to me in the forward line for Spain. Given Spain’s previous struggles to score in front of goal, their striker at the Euros being Alvaro Morata, I thought the striker position would be a weak spot and perhaps the ultimate hindrance that would keep Spain away from the top spot. But Luis de la Fuente found a solution that worked in a number of ways. Mikel Oyarzabal has scored a goal per game since being moved to the starting striker position. He’s a calm player, a veteran who’s spent his entire career at Real Sociedad and just dragged them to a Spanish Copa Del Rey victory. He’s a clutch player who scored the winning goal against Germany in the 119th minute at the Euros. He’s a willing presser and passer, he can take defenders on or play with his back to them and pass around them to the wingers or midfielders. He turned a position of weakness for Spain into a position of strength. Neither Oyarzabal nor the World Cup winning goalscorer Ferran Torres are traditional strikers, but they filled the role in their own way, brought big game experience to the table, and helped lead the Spanish charge.

I could talk about their defensive group led by Aymeric Laporte, who I argue is one of the more underrated players in Premier League history and an absolute pillar of Guardiola’s City for years. Pau Cubarsi rarely putting a foot wrong as a 19-year-old. Unai Simon being trusted enough by his manager to start over David Raya and Joan Garcia, two of the best keepers in the world. Pedro Porro, once a bright spot for a bad Tottenham team, turning a new leaf and absolutely thriving in this World Cup. Yet this Spanish team only giving up one goal in eight games is as much about the team as it is about any individual effort. Every single player on this Spanish team is a good and often spectacular player off the ball. They aggressively defend as a unit, there are no stragglers or players unwilling to defend. That’s why I could never see France as a favorite: Mbappe never defends and it’s difficult to win games when players refuse to work together as a team. France’s midfield was not technically gifted but rather meant to be functional, to close the gaps in defense left by a forward line who didn’t really defend much at all. An aging Adrien Rabiot could only plug so many holes.

Generally, between the play style, the commitment to high pressure, and the culture of the team, Spain reminded me a lot of prime Liverpool. Everybody defended as a unit, everybody knew their role in the team, the squad had high energy and good vibes throughout the tournament, and they were singularly focused on winning. They looked to keep possession, create chances, and hopefully finish a few of them. If not, they’d rely on a defensive unit of 11 players all working in unison to keep a clean sheet. Late winners are oftentimes indicative of a team’s mentality. The continual push to keep fighting, to keep trusting that the game plan will work, to keep moving forward and create more chances. Spain had the right players, the right strategy, the right coach to bring out the best in them. Luis de la Fuente was the manager of the Spanish U21 national team before being promoted to the men’s team manager. He’d personally coached at least 10 players on Spain’s winning squad, probably more. He knew his players well and he knew how to get the best from each of them. He knew to pick players like Borja Iglesias and Gavi that would emphasize team chemistry and harmony over personal ambitions. He knew to keep trusting in his players and encourage them to trust in themselves. To not trail once in an entire World Cup tournament is a testament to their dominance. To score three late winners is a testament to their willpower.

Spain were a complete team, the embodiment of a group mentality that had star power all over the field, from Yamal to Rodri to Cubarsi, yet never once did their ego overshadow their ability. They simply kept their head down, went to work, and were rightly rewarded. Football won.

Of course I’d be remiss to not mention the passing of LFC legend and simply brilliant human being Kevin Keegan. He inspired millions, was a role model as a player, manager and person. Soop’s tribute is quite beautiful to read. May Kevin rest in peace.