Spanish football is riding the crest of a wave following Spain’s Euro 2008 victory and the record-breaking achievements of Barcelona in 2009, and La Roja have rightly been installed as joint favourites for the World Cup with Brazil, apart from being the only side to ever be ranked number one in the Fifa standings without winning a World Cup. Their best placing remains fourth place in 1950.
The country would only appear in two more World Cups until 1978, but have qualified for every tournament since then.
But in players like goalkeeper Iker Casillas, midfielders Xavi and Andres Iniesta and lethal strikers David Villa and Fernando Torres they possess the kind of quality that emerges only once in a generation.
Published in the Express Tribune, June 16th, 2010.
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