La Roja has evolved into a formidable program in recent years, consistently posing a threat to claim top spots in major tournaments.
Spain will participate in the 2022 World Cup in Qatar as the group’s top seed, positioning them as one of the key contenders for the title in international play. Looking at history and the statistics, does Spain stand out as a favorite in world competition?
Qatar World Cup 2022: when it starts, where it is held, how the tournament unfolds, and which teams will compete
How many World Cup finals has the Spanish national team reached?
Historical records reveal that Spain has rarely advanced to the decisive final match. The landmark moment came in 2010 in South Africa, where a 1-0 victory over the Netherlands, sealed by Andrés Iniesta, gave Iker Casillas the honor of lifting the most prestigious trophy in football. Since then, Spain has not replicated that exact feat in a final, with its most notable achievement other than 2010 being a fourth-place finish in 1950. Time has passed, and moments like those have become increasingly rare.
In recent decades, reaching a World Cup final has proved elusive for the Spanish side, a reality reflected in the tournament structure since 1986. The team’s best performance in the final stages of the World Cup remains a singular triumph in 2010, with fluctuating results in the years that followed.
The last eight World Cups
Under the current format used since Mexico 1986, Spain has only reached the semi-finals in 2010. The overall record shows a pattern of runs at agreeable levels but uneven depth in the knockout rounds, leaving a sense that the team has often found itself just short of the ultimate prize. The sequence of results over the following tournaments reads as a reminder of how tough the global stage can be.
Mexico 1986: quarterfinals
Italy 1990: round of 16
United States 1994: quarterfinals
France 1998: group stage exit
South Korea and Japan 2002: quarterfinals
Germany 2006: round of 16
South Africa 2010: champions
Brazil 2014: group stage exit
Russia 2018: round of 16