Spain National Team World Cup Betting
The best national team in the world was Spain just a decade ago. La Roja were dominant from 2008 to 2012, winning two European Championships and a World Cup in that stretch due to their tiki-taka possession-based play. They have not been too impressive at the World Cup in their last two trips, but they made it to the semifinals of last year’s Euros and are considered one of the favorites this fall.
Manager: Luis Enrique
Nicknames: La Roja, La Furia Roja
Confederation: UEFA (Europe)
FIFA Ranking: 7 (March 2022)
Spain World Cup Betting Odds
To Win Group E: -120
To Win 2022 World Cup: +825
*Odds as of May 4, 2022
Spain Group Stage Schedule
Spain vs. IC Playoff 2, Wednesday, November 23, 2022, 11 a.m. ET, at Al Thumama Stadium in Doha (FOX)
Spain vs. Germany, Sunday, November 27, 2022, 2 p.m. ET, at Al Bayt Stadium in Al Khor (FS1)
Japan vs. Spain, Thursday, December 1, 2022, 2 p.m. ET, at Khalifa International Stadium in Al Rayyan (FOX)
History at the World Cup
Appearances: 16 (first in 1934)
Best Result: Champions (2010)
Many football analysts considered Spain the most talented country to never win a World Cup prior to 2010. Spain boasts two of the most dominant club teams in the world in Real Madrid and Barcelona, and there have been dozens of extremely skilled players on La Roja.
The three-time European champions only made it to the World Cup semifinals once before their breakthrough title in 2010. Spain won its group at the 1950 World Cup, but then was hammered 6-1 by Brazil before losing to Sweden its final game. It took 32 years for Spain to again advance out of the Group Stage, and that happened in 1982 when Spain hosted the World Cup.
Many countries won their first World Cup while serving as hosts, but Spain nearly became the first host country to not advance out of the Group Stage. La Roja finished behind Northern Ireland in their group and won a tiebreaker over Yugoslavia to advance. They were unable to beat either West Germany or England in the next round, finishing dead last of the teams that advanced to the Second Group Stage.
Spain’s breakthrough finally came in 2010. They were dominant at the 2008 Euros, and they continued to dance around their opponents in South Africa despite a stunning initial loss to Switzerland. Spain defeated Chile and Honduras in its next two matches to win the group and advance to the knockout rounds. They proceeded to beat Portugal, Paraguay, and Germany by final scores of 1-0 to make the final, and Spain won the World Cup after Andres Iniesta scored in the 116th minute against Argentina.
What to Watch
The only member of the old guard left for Spain is defensive midfielder Sergio Busquets. He is now the captain for La Roja, and he has 133 appearances with the national team. Busquets will turn 34 this summer, so this is very likely to be his final World Cup.
There are concerns about whether Spain has the playmakers it needs in the midfield. Koke is the most experienced midfielder aside from Busquets, but he has yet to score a goal. Rodri, Dani Olmo, Pedri, and Marcos Llorente haven’t been real offensive threats, so that will put more pressure on the forwards to finish their chances.
Spain does not have a world-class finisher like other teams that are favorites. Gerard Moreno never lived up to his promise, and Mikel Oyarzabal has fallen out of favor with the national team. Alvaro Morata is the most proven scorer with 25 goals, and a lot of faith will be placed in youngsters Ferran Torres and Yeremi Pino.
This back line is one of the best in the world though. Jordi Alba, Cesar Azpilicueta, and Dani Carvajal have been standout defenders for years. Aymeric Laporte is one of the best around at his role, and there is depth on the roster too.
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