Spain’s collective strength makes them World Cup final favorites

In a World Cup dominated by superstars, Spain demonstrated the true value of a team in their semi-final win over France. While Kylian Mbappe and co. had lit up the tournament to that point, the European champions produced a performance that highlighted why they are such a formidable unit.

Spain were widely considered to be a threat. There had been chat before the match in Dallas of this being the ‘real’ final, hinting that whichever team emerged would be considered the favourite to overcome Argentina or England in the final. There was always a world where Spain could win the semi-final.

And yet the manner of their win was surprising. From the moment Mikel Oyarzabal opened the scoring from the penalty spot in the first half, Spain were in control. They had the majority share of possession and nullified every single one of France’s multitude of attacking threats for essentially the full match.

“We’re feeling unbeatable,” Spain manager Luis De La Fuente said after the semi-final win. “They [France] faced the best team in the world. We have that edge. These players deserve everything because day after day, they demonstrate their commitment, their generosity, their solidarity, and their talent. It is wonderful to watch them play. Today was a spectacle. What seems difficult, this team makes it look easy.”

Rodri was untouchable at the base of the Spanish midfield. Indeed, the Ballon d’Or winner dictated Spain’s possession play alongside Fabian Ruiz, who was preferred over Pedri to give the European champions control on both sides of the ball. It worked, as France struggled to impose themselves in any meaningful way.

Marc Cucurella and Pedro Porro both did an outstanding job of shutting down any French threat on the wings with the latter scoring the second goal that effectively killed the match as a contest. Ousmane Dembele and Michael Olise got no change out of Cucurella who snapped into every tackle he could.

Anyone who remembers the manner of Spain’s triumph at Euro 2024 won’t have been surprised by what they saw in Dallas. However, the European champions hadn’t reached the standard they set for themselves in Germany two years ago before taking on France for a place in the 2026 World Cup final.

Lamine Yamal hasn’t been the same electrifying presence on the wing he was at Euro 2024. The 19-year-old is clearly still recovering from the injury that sidelined him for the final two months of the club season and hasn’t been able to influence matches in the way Spain would have wanted heading into the World Cup.

Meanwhile, Nico Williams was one of Spain’s most impactful players two years ago. Since then, though, the winger’s form has dipped for club and country, limiting him to appearances off the bench during the 2026 World Cup. Alex Baena has been favoured on the left side, giving Spain a very different dynamic. This has affected their one-on-one ability.

Pedri is another member of the Euro 2024 team that has struggled for his best form this summer. In fact, the Barcelona playmaker was left out of the lineup for knockout victories over Belgium and France. Spain’s identity and coherence as a team, however, is strong enough to absorb all of this.

Such is the control Spain have in matches against high-calibre opponents it’s difficult to pinpoint a weakness in their approach. Two years ago, their central defensive unit was targeted. Now, though, they boast Pau Cubarsi was one of the best young centre backs in the sport. 

Mikel Oyarzabal might not be on the level of Harry Kane or Mbappe as a Tier One centre forward, but the Real Sociedad player has still proved his worth over the course of the World Cup, scoring five times in seven games. At the opposite end of the pitch, Unai Simon has kept 6 clean sheets and broke the record for the most World Cup minutes in a row without conceding – 650. The Athletic Bilbao goalkeeper has demonstrated a sturdiness that only increases the calm confidence of the squad as a whole.

From back-to-front, Spain’s players are performing. Few doubted the individual quality of them, but it’s clear now that their true strength is in their quality as a collective.