Spain National Football Team
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50 free Spain National Football Team trivia questions with answers — sports quiz, new questions added Oct 2026.
Spain's national football team spent decades as the great underachiever of world soccer, then turned into one of the most successful sides the game has seen. Its men have been champions of Europe and of the world, and its women have lifted the biggest prize too. This quiz gathers the fun facts behind that story: the goals that decided finals, the players who hold the records, the coaches, the kit, an unusual anthem, a psychic sea creature and a superfan who followed the team everywhere. Some questions go back to the team's first tournament a century ago, and others cover the trophies of the 2020s. It is pitched for curious fans of any age, including kids who are just getting into soccer. Every answer comes with a short explanation, so you will pick up a few new Spain soccer facts even on the questions you miss.
30 of 50 questions with answers and explanations. Play the quiz
Q 01Which sea creature at a German aquarium correctly picked Spain to win the 2010 World Cup final?
An octopus
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.
Q 02What is unusual about the Marcha Real, the national anthem played before Spain's football matches?
It has no words
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.
Q 03Which nickname, taken from the colour of its home shirt, is used for Spain's national football team?
La Roja
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.
Q 04Which midfielder scored Spain's extra-time winner over the Netherlands in the 2010 World Cup final?
Andrés Iniesta
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.
Q 05Which country hosted the 2010 World Cup, where Spain's men became world champions for the first time?
South Africa
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.
Q 06Which Spain winger became the youngest player in Euros history at Euro 2024, aged 16?
Lamine Yamal
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.
Q 07The mascot of the 1982 World Cup hosted by Spain was a cartoon version of which fruit?
An orange
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.
Q 08What name is given to the short-passing style Spain used to win Euro 2008 and Euro 2012?
Tiki-taka
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.
Q 09Which nation lost to Spain in both the 2023 Women's World Cup final and the men's Euro 2024 final?
England
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.
Q 10Which instrument did Manolo, Spain's most famous football fan, play at matches for decades?
A bass drum
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.
Q 11Which surname links Spain's match-winners in the Euro 2008 final and the 2026 World Cup final?
Torres
Torres is the name on both goals. Fernando Torres scored after 33 minutes in 2008, and Ferran Torres struck in extra time in 2026.
Q 12Which goalkeeper captained Spain to three straight trophies between Euro 2008 and Euro 2012?
Iker Casillas
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.
Q 13Which striker, nicknamed El Guaje, is the Spain men's team's all-time top scorer with 59 goals?
David Villa
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.
Q 21Spain won its first European title in 1964 by beating which defending champion in the final?
Soviet Union
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.
Q 22Which team did Spain beat 4–0 in the Euro 2012 final, the biggest winning margin in any Euros final?
Italy
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.
Q 23Which team beat Spain in its opening match of the 2010 World Cup, a tournament Spain went on to win?
Switzerland
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.
Q 14Which defender from the 2010 World Cup winners holds Spain's appearance record with 180 caps?
Sergio Ramos
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.
Q 15Which coach led Spain to the 2010 World Cup and was later given a noble title by King Juan Carlos?
Vicente del Bosque
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.
Q 16Which midfielder was named Player of the Tournament when Spain won Euro 2008?
Xavi Hernández
Xavi Hernández nearly left Barcelona that summer after talks with Bayern Munich. New coach Pep Guardiola convinced him he was too important to go.
Q 17Which shaggy-haired defender headed Spain's winner in the 2010 World Cup semi-final against Germany?
Carles Puyol
Carles Puyol met a corner with a powerful header that sent Spain to its first World Cup final. Barcelona fans called him the Wall.
Q 18Which Spain midfielder was Player of the Tournament at Euro 2024 and won that year's Ballon d'Or?
Rodri
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.
Q 19Which left-back scored the only goal of the 2023 Women's World Cup final while captaining Spain?
Olga Carmona
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.
Q 20Which Spain midfielder won both the Golden Ball at the 2023 Women's World Cup and the Ballon d'Or?
Aitana Bonmatí
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.
Q 24Which team did Spain beat in extra time to win the 2026 World Cup final in New Jersey?
Argentina
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.
Q 25Which team ended Spain's 35-match unbeaten run with a shock win at the 2009 Confederations Cup?
United States
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.
Q 26Needing an 11-goal win to reach Euro 1984, Spain beat which team 12–1 in its final qualifier?
Malta
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.
Q 27Which host nation beat Spain in the Euro 1984 final after a free kick squirmed under Luis Arconada?
France
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.
Q 28Which 2030 World Cup co-host knocked Spain out of the 2022 tournament in a penalty shootout?
Morocco
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.
Q 29Spain won all four of its knockout matches at the 2010 World Cup by which identical scoreline?
1–0
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.
Q 30Which Belgian city hosted the 1920 Olympics, where Spain's football team won silver at its first tournament?
Antwerp
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.