There are 32 nations in the World Cup 2018. However, by mid-July, only one team will remain standing in Moscow.
While the likes of Brazil, France, Germany and Argentina are long considered as heavy favourites to win the FIFA 2018 event, there’s another team that is slowly building its case for the biggest and most prized trophy in the beautiful game.
Spain.
A mere mention of the Spaniards would strike fear into anyone’s heart. In any case, how can a team not fear one of the powerhouse nations of world football?
Most people thought that La Roja’s crash in the World Cup four years ago was the end of the tiki-taka era. Those thoughts were further cemented after the team disappointed once again, this time in the Euro 2016 where they suffered a round-of-16 exit.
Nonetheless, Spain have more than just recovered as they quickly re-established their dominance in the international football scene. In fact, a recent study named them as favourites to win the World Cup, ahead of Brazil, France and Germany.
That study has probably raised some eyebrows by now. Nonetheless, it’s not wrong to believe that Spain can win it all. Here are three reasons why:
The Lopetegui factor
It’s easy to credit the players when their team is winning, but people often overlook the man and the mind on the touchlines that actually made the results possible.
Julen Lopetegui took the reins of the Spain national team from Vicente Del Bosque after two straight disappointments in international competition, and he quickly worked his magic and sparked a renaissance of sorts.
Since Lopetegui assumed the position, Spain were able to recapture the form that saw them win the 2010 World Cup. It is interesting to note that La Roja are yet to lose a match under Lopetegui, having breezed through the World Cup 2018 Europe qualifiers.
The nation took 28 points out of a possible 30 as they topped Group G and earned automatic qualification. The only country that tested them was Italy—the same squad that sent them packing in the European Championships—though they eventually overcame that hump and thrashed the Azzurri the second time they met in qualification.
Including friendlies, Lopetegui is 18-0 with Spain, a record that includes 13 wins and five draws. They even made a statement win against the Lionel Messi-less Argentina in a friendly last March, beating them 6-1.
World-class talents
David de Gea, Jordi Alba, Sergio Ramos, Gerard Pique, Sergio Busquets, Andres Iniesta, Koke and Isco. I could go on and on and name more players to emphasise how deep Spain’s talent pool is.
In reality, the bigger problem they are facing is who not to include in the final 23-man squad that will be sent to Russia.
They have undoubtedly one, if not the best goalkeeper in Manchester United’s David de Gea. Backing the 27-year-old are the likes of Pepe Reina (Napoli) and Kepa Arrizabalaga (Athletic Bilbao) who will both hope to crack into the lineup.
Defensively, they have Alba, Pique, Ramos and Dani Carvajal manning the back. All four are playing for either Barcelona and Real Madrid, which says a lot about their quality—talk about a “four-midable” defensive line, huh?
They are also brimming with talent in midfield; and while Andres Iniesta is not a guarantee to start, it’s comforting to know they have a sharp and quick player who is capable of destroying any defence.
Not to mention the likes of David Silva, Marco Asensio and Pedro who give Spain plenty of options on the wings.
Up front, there’s Diego Costa and Alvaro Morata who—despite being left out of the squad in their friendlies last March—is undoubtedly the best striker Spain have. There’s also the extra motivation for Morata to prove himself on the big stage after what could be described as a tumultuous season at Chelsea.
World Cup and championship experience
Eleven straight World Cup appearances and one world championship. If that record is not enough to make Spain favourites, I don’t know what will.
Sure enough, fellow footballing powerhouses Germany, Brazil and Argentina provide strong opposition. However, it would be wrong not to consider Spain at the same level as the three. Even the great Messi acknowledged the strength of La Roja, saying that he “would prefer to avoid Spain” at the World Cup.
People might call them a team of yesteryears, but they might as well be considered as the team of tomorrow with the experience and technical excellence they possess.
They are a dangerous team, and their performance throughout the qualifiers speaks volume on how difficult they are to beat.
Anything can happen in the World Cup, but I sure won’t bet on another Spain disaster at the group stage—or in the earlier rounds. After all, another World Cup trophy seems within their reach.
●●●
CHECK OUT OUR BLOG FOR MORE WORLD CUP 2018 STORIES & ODDS
Stay updated with everything sports and betting.
Follow us on social Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube.
