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Spain has a bright future ahead of it, and not just in the men's game.
KEYSTONE
The Spaniards are reigning European champions for the men and reigning world champions for the women. A look at the national U-team tournaments shows that Spain could continue to dominate football in the coming years.
Spanish football experienced its golden years between 2008 and 2012. In club football, FC Barcelona won the Champions League twice (2009 and 2011). The national team became European champions twice and world champions in 2010.
Iker Casillas, Carles Puyol, Xavi, Andrés Iniesta, David Villa and Fernando Torres were the big names at the time. After the legends had slowly departed, the successes diminished.
Spain have not even made it past the round of 16 at a World Cup since winning in South Africa. Since last year and the European Championship title in Germany, however, a golden era seems to be dawning again for Spain.
Lamine Yamal, Nico Williams and Pedri are all under the age of 23 and are already top performers. They could help shape world football over the next ten years. The 2026 World Cup in the USA will show whether they are mature enough for the world stage.
It is not only men's football that is on the upswing, but also women's football. The Spanish women are number two in the world behind the USA and became world champions in 2023 in only their third appearance at the finals.
With Aitana Bonmatí and Alexia Putellas, the Ballon d'Or winners of the last four years, in their ranks, the Spaniards are also among the top favorites at the upcoming European Championships in Switzerland.
The success of the senior national teams does not come from nowhere. It is the result of many investments in promoting young talent and in better infrastructure.
In addition, the top two divisions of the women's game have also been professionalized, with the result that Barcelona has played in every final of the Women's Champions League in the last five years and won three of them.
The successes are also reflected in the attendance figures. On average, around 6700 people flock to the FC Barcelona women's stadium to watch Sydney Schertenleib and Co. The average attendance at Athletic Bilbao is around 5700.
The national under-19 teams prove that the promotion of young talent works. At U19 level, Spain are the reigning European champions in both the men's and women's competitions - and both could defend their title this week.
The men will play the Netherlands for the title on Thursday in Bucharest, while the women will face France in the final on Friday in Rzeszów, Poland. For the Spanish women, the fourth European Championship title in a row at this level beckons.
This fall, the men's U20 World Cup will take place in Chile and the women's U17 World Cup in Morocco. Spain will be taking part in both tournaments. It remains to be seen whether they will play for the titles. What is already certain is that Spain will be a force to be reckoned with at every football tournament in the next few years.
