50 Fun Facts About Spain National Football Team

Which sea creature at a German aquarium correctly picked Spain to win the 2010 World Cup final?

An octopus named Paul picked Spain by choosing a food box marked with the Spanish flag. He got all eight of his 2010 World Cup predictions right.

What is unusual about the Marcha Real, the national anthem played before Spain's football matches?

It has no words, so Spain's players have nothing to sing before kick-off. Lyrics approved under Franco were dropped in 1978 and never officially replaced.

Which nickname, taken from the colour of its home shirt, is used for Spain's national football team?

La Roja means the Red One, after the team's red shirts. An older nickname, the Spanish Fury, dates from the silver-medal side at the 1920 Olympics.

Which midfielder scored Spain's extra-time winner over the Netherlands in the 2010 World Cup final?

Andrés Iniesta struck four minutes before the end of extra time, with a penalty shootout looming. He was booked for pulling off his shirt as he celebrated.

Which country hosted the 2010 World Cup, where Spain's men became world champions for the first time?

South Africa staged the first World Cup held on African soil. Spain's win there made it the first European team to lift the trophy outside Europe.

Which Spain winger became the youngest player in Euros history at Euro 2024, aged 16?

Lamine Yamal was 16 when he played in Spain's opening match. He then scored a curling semi-final goal four days before his 17th birthday.

The mascot of the 1982 World Cup hosted by Spain was a cartoon version of which fruit?

An orange in Spain's kit was chosen because the fruit is so typical of the country. Naranjito later starred in a cartoon series with a lemon friend called Citronio.

What name is given to the short-passing style Spain used to win Euro 2008 and Euro 2012?

Tiki-taka relies on quick short passes, patience and constant movement. Spain also used it to win the 2010 World Cup between its two European titles.

Which nation lost to Spain in both the 2023 Women's World Cup final and the men's Euro 2024 final?

England lost the women's final in August 2023 and the men's final in July 2024. The second win made Spain the first nation with four European titles.

Which instrument did Manolo, Spain's most famous football fan, play at matches for decades?

A bass drum earned him the name Manolo el del Bombo. He once hitchhiked 15,800 kilometres around the 1982 World Cup to follow the team.

Which surname links Spain's match-winners in the Euro 2008 final and the 2026 World Cup final?

Torres is the name on both goals. Fernando Torres scored after 33 minutes in 2008, and Ferran Torres struck in extra time in 2026.

Which goalkeeper captained Spain to three straight trophies between Euro 2008 and Euro 2012?

Iker Casillas was nicknamed the Saint for his saves. In the 2010 final he twice stopped Arjen Robben when the Dutchman was clean through at 0–0.

Which striker, nicknamed El Guaje, is the Spain men's team's all-time top scorer with 59 goals?

David Villa earned the nickname, the Kid, by playing against much older children. He scored his 59 goals in 98 matches, 15 more than Raúl in second place.

Which defender from the 2010 World Cup winners holds Spain's appearance record with 180 caps?

Sergio Ramos won his 180 caps across sixteen years. He took the record outright in October 2019, a year after captaining Spain at the 2018 World Cup.

Which coach led Spain to the 2010 World Cup and was later given a noble title by King Juan Carlos?

Vicente del Bosque became the 1st Marquess of Del Bosque. Before taking the Spain job he had coached Real Madrid to two Champions League titles.

Which midfielder was named Player of the Tournament when Spain won Euro 2008?

Xavi Hernández nearly left Barcelona that summer after talks with Bayern Munich. New coach Pep Guardiola convinced him he was too important to go.

Which shaggy-haired defender headed Spain's winner in the 2010 World Cup semi-final against Germany?

Carles Puyol met a corner with a powerful header that sent Spain to its first World Cup final. Barcelona fans called him the Wall.

Which Spain midfielder was Player of the Tournament at Euro 2024 and won that year's Ballon d'Or?

Rodri was the first defensive midfielder to win the Ballon d'Or since Lothar Matthäus in 1990. He missed most of the following season with a serious knee injury.

Which left-back scored the only goal of the 2023 Women's World Cup final while captaining Spain?

Olga Carmona had also scored the decisive goal of the semi-final against Sweden five days earlier. She was named player of the match in the final.

Which Spain midfielder won both the Golden Ball at the 2023 Women's World Cup and the Ballon d'Or?

Aitana Bonmatí went on to become the first player to win the women's Ballon d'Or three times. Her Spain teammate Alexia Putellas had won it in 2021 and 2022.

Spain won its first European title in 1964 by beating which defending champion in the final?

The Soviet Union had beaten Spain without playing four years earlier. Franco's Spain refused to travel there for a quarter-final and was disqualified.

Which team did Spain beat 4–0 in the Euro 2012 final, the biggest winning margin in any Euros final?

Italy had held Spain to a draw in the group stage three weeks earlier. The win made Spain the first team to retain the European Championship.

Which team beat Spain in its opening match of the 2010 World Cup, a tournament Spain went on to win?

Switzerland's shock win did not stop Spain becoming the first team to lift the World Cup after losing its opening game. The Swiss failed to win again and went out in the group stage.

Which team did Spain beat in extra time to win the 2026 World Cup final in New Jersey?

Argentina, the holders, did not manage a single shot in normal time, a first for a World Cup final. Spain became the first nation to hold the men's and women's world titles together.

Which team ended Spain's 35-match unbeaten run with a shock win at the 2009 Confederations Cup?

The United States won 2–0, ending a streak that had begun in November 2006. Spain, the European champion, had to settle for third place.

Needing an 11-goal win to reach Euro 1984, Spain beat which team 12–1 in its final qualifier?

Malta trailed only 3–1 at half-time, so few expected Spain to make it. The twelfth goal came in the 88th minute from a player who had missed a penalty early on.

Which host nation beat Spain in the Euro 1984 final after a free kick squirmed under Luis Arconada?

France went ahead when Michel Platini's low free kick slipped under the Spanish goalkeeper's body. The win gave the hosts their first international trophy.

Which 2030 World Cup co-host knocked Spain out of the 2022 tournament in a penalty shootout?

Morocco won the shootout 3–0 after a goalless draw, as Spain failed to score a single penalty. The two neighbours are due to share the 2030 World Cup with Portugal.

Spain won all four of its knockout matches at the 2010 World Cup by which identical scoreline?

1–0 was enough against Portugal, Paraguay, Germany and the Netherlands. Spain's eight goals in the tournament set a record for the fewest by a World Cup winner.

Which Belgian city hosted the 1920 Olympics, where Spain's football team won silver at its first tournament?

Antwerp staged the Games where Spain took the silver medal at its first tournament, after beating Denmark in its first ever match. The team's fierce style there earned it the nickname the Spanish Fury.

What do the gold stars stitched above the crest on Spain's national football shirt represent?

World Cup wins earn a star each: the first was added after 2010 and a second after the 2026 triumph. The shirt carries the country's coat of arms, not a federation badge.

Which sportswear brand took over the Spain national football team's kit from Le Coq Sportif in 1991?

Adidas had also made the kit from 1981 to 1983, so Spain wore its three stripes at the 1982 World Cup on home soil.

In which Barcelona stadium did Spain's men win Olympic football gold at the 1992 Summer Games?

Camp Nou saw Kiko score a last-minute winner to beat Poland 3–2. Spain was the first host nation to win Olympic football gold since Belgium in 1920.

Which Uruguayan striker shares his name with the Spanish playmaker who won the 1960 Ballon d'Or?

Luis Suárez of Spain, nicknamed the Architect, was the first Spanish-born player to win the Ballon d'Or. Four years later he helped his country win its first European title.

Which goalkeeper in Spain's first national team gave his name to La Liga's top goalkeeping award?

Ricardo Zamora, known as El Divino, played in a cloth cap and a white polo-neck. On the way home from the 1920 Olympics he was arrested for trying to smuggle Havana cigars.

Which Real Madrid legend, born in Buenos Aires, played for Spain but never appeared at a World Cup?

Alfredo Di Stéfano played for three different national teams without ever playing a World Cup match. A muscle injury just before the 1962 World Cup kept him off the pitch.

Which Spain striker, nicknamed the Vulture, scored four goals against Denmark at the 1986 World Cup?

Emilio Butragueño turned the round-of-16 match into a 5–1 rout. He also gave his nickname to La Quinta del Buitre, Real Madrid's famous group of home-grown players.

Which ex-captain replaced Julen Lopetegui as Spain coach two days before its 2018 World Cup opener?

Fernando Hierro stepped up from sporting director after Lopetegui agreed to join Real Madrid. Spain drew its opener 3–3 and went out to Russia on penalties in the round of 16.

Which Spain midfielder was kicked in the chest by Nigel de Jong during the 2010 World Cup final?

Xabi Alonso took the studs in the 28th minute, yet referee Howard Webb showed only a yellow card. As a coach he later led Bayer Leverkusen to an unbeaten German league title.

Which winger won the 2010 World Cup with Spain and was also in the squad that won Euro 2024?

Jesús Navas once suffered homesickness so badly that he walked out of training camps far from Seville. At 37 he became the oldest player Spain had ever fielded, and he kept playing past 38.

Which substitute scored Spain's winner in the Euro 2024 final after coming on for Álvaro Morata?

Mikel Oyarzabal came on in the 68th minute and scored in the 86th. A video review found that a defender's knee had kept him onside.

Which Spain midfielder headed a late Euro 2024 winner in a stadium where his father had also scored?

Mikel Merino scored in Stuttgart, then ran around the corner flag just as his father had after scoring there for Osasuna in 1991. The goal knocked out the hosts.

Which coach, promoted from Spain's youth teams in 2022, led the senior side to the Euro 2024 title?

Luis de la Fuente had already won European titles with Spain's under-19 and under-21 teams. He went on to add the 2026 World Cup with the seniors.

Euro 2024 winner Nico Williams has an older brother, Iñaki, who chose in 2022 to play for which country?

Ghana is where the brothers' parents came from before the family settled in Spain. Iñaki played once for Spain in 2016 before switching in 2022.

Spain's 2010 World Cup final goal was dedicated to Dani Jarque, the late captain of which club?

Espanyol's captain, a close friend of the goalscorer, had died in August 2009 aged 26. The scorer lifted his shirt to show a message saying Jarque was always with the team.

In which city's Olympic Stadium did Spain win the Euro 2024 final to claim a fourth European title?

Berlin hosted the final at its Olympiastadion. Spain won all seven of its matches at the tournament, something no team had done at a Euros before.

Which striker headed Spain's winner with six minutes left in the 1964 European Nations' Cup final?

Marcelino met a cross at the near post to make it 2–1. He won only 14 caps, yet his header delivered what stayed Spain's lone major title for 44 years.

Spain opened the 2022 World Cup by beating which Central American team 7–0?

Costa Rica failed to record a single shot. Spain's fifth goal came from 18-year-old Gavi, who became the youngest World Cup scorer for any team since Pelé in 1958.

Which Athletic Bilbao striker's goal sent Spain into the final four of the 1950 World Cup?

Telmo Zarra scored 251 league goals, a Spanish record that stood for nearly six decades until Lionel Messi broke it. A trophy for La Liga's top-scoring Spaniard carries his name.

Spain won its first Nations League title in 2023 by beating which team on penalties in the final?

Croatia held Spain to a goalless draw in Rotterdam before losing the shootout 5–4. The win was Spain's first trophy since Euro 2012.