WHEN GERMANY UNDERWHELMED and exited the World Cup amid a shock round-of-32 loss to Paraguay, it made sense on some level.
Many of their best players had patchy seasons owing to issues relating to form, injuries or both – it was true of Florian Wirtz, Kai Havertz and Jamal Musiala.
Meanwhile, their goalkeeper, Manuel Neuer, is 40. And the man they started up front for that fateful knockout match, Deniz Undav, had a decent tournament but is a 29-year-old playing for VfB Stuttgart who can hardly be classified as an elite striker.
But perhaps most importantly, Germany lack a superstar.
And it has been a tournament defined by superstars – the five top scorers, Lionel Messi, Kylian Mbappé, Erling Haaland, Jude Bellingham and Harry Kane, are all among the most famous names in the sport.
That is not always the case – Oleg Salenko (joint top scorer in 1994) and Miroslav Klose (top scorer in 2006) do not fall into this category.
Yet many of the criticisms levelled at Germany also apply to World Cup finalists, Spain.
La Roja, of course, do have a superstar within their ranks.
However, Lamine Yamal has not fully taken flight at the tournament.
The 19-year-old has featured in all seven of Spain’s matches, but has scored only once and registered no assists – a disappointing return for a player of his quality.
Two years ago at the Euros, Yamal also scored one goal in the tournament, but was a key factor in their victory with the cutting edge he offered on the wing.
Advertisement
While the Barcelona player has shown glimpses of brilliance at this tournament, he came into it with an injury.
His last competitive appearance before the World Cup was with reigning La Liga champions in April, which perhaps explains why he has looked slightly below his brilliant best after being rushed back in time for this summer’s tournament.
Yet Yamal being on the periphery makes Spain’s success all the more remarkable.
And the teenager is not the only player in La Roja’s squad who has come into this tournament on the back of an imperfect season.
In fact, arguably the footballer who has had the best club season of anyone in the Spanish squad – Arsenal goalkeeper David Raya, a contender for Premier League Player of the Year – has not played a single minute of action.
When you go through the entire Spanish starting XI against France, it is remarkable how many had campaigns that were average, at best.
Unai Simón, the 29-year-old goalkeeper, has spent his entire career virtually at Athletic Bilbao, who finished 12th in La Liga last season.
Pedro Porro’s inconsistent displays were one of the many reasons Tottenham found themselves on the brink of Premier League relegation before escaping with a narrow 1-0 win on the final day against Everton.
Pau Cubarsí did have a good season, featuring 48 times in all competitions for Barcelona. Yet he is 19, has no previous major tournament experience and is not the most physical of centre-backs, so there were bound to be question marks at the outset.
Aymeric Laporte, like Simón, was part of the Athletic Bilbao side who struggled in La Liga. Before then, he spent two seasons in the obscurity of Saudi Arabian football, while of his seven campaigns at Man City, only two saw him play regular Premier League football.
Marc Cucurella was another who had a disappointing season for a Chelsea side that finished 10th in the Premier League, so it was perhaps not a big surprise when the London club opted to cut their losses and sell the 27-year-old to Real Madrid for £51.8 million (€61 million).
Rodri has been a key player for Spain at this World Cup. Alamy Stock Photo
Alamy Stock Photo
Rodri is widely regarded as one of the best midfielders in the world and has come into Ballon D’Or contention owing to his performances at this World Cup.
But before this tournament, there was a growing consensus that the 30-year-old was not the same player he once was.
He has played just 24 Premier League games in the past two seasons after suffering an ACL injury in September 2024. Nonetheless, the fact he started every match for Spain at this World Cup suggests he is as fit as he has been in a long time and returning to something like his best form.
Fabian Ruiz has also not been an automatic starter for PSG. He missed a significant chunk of the season through injury and was not involved in either Champions League knockout match against Liverpool, while he only appeared off the bench in their memorable 5-4 win over Bayern Munich.
Yamal’s problems have already been touched on, while injuries and registration issues have contributed to two inconsistent seasons for Dani Olmo since joining Barcelona from RB Leipzig for €60 million.
Alex Baena, meanwhile, is not a first-choice player for Atletico Madrid. He featured in 27 out of 38 La Liga matches and tended to be used as an impact sub for their pivotal Champions League knockout games.
Finally, Mikel Oyarzabal, the highest-scoring of the non-superstar players at this World Cup with five goals, is a 29-year-old who has spent his entire senior career at Real Sociedad.
For four of the past five seasons, the striker has failed to register double figures in La Liga.
This season, the best of his career, Oyarzabal managed 18 goals from 40 appearances in all competitions – a respectable tally but hardly on the level of Kane, Haaland, Mbappé et al.
So why have Spain thrived despite the majority of their starting XI having disappointing club seasons and some not playing at the highest level of the game?
A frequent complaint about the Irish team and several other international sides is that they “don’t have the players” good enough to compete at international level.
Yet there are at least four or five countries who came into this World Cup with a stronger collection of individuals than Spain.
Apart from Yamal, would any of their attackers make the France starting XI?
Are their midfield options as formidable as Portugal’s?
Related Reads
Argentina vs England: The game might be over but the diplomatic row about The Falklands rumbles on
Messi's last dance confirms he is the greatest footballer of our lifetimes
Spain find stride with ruthless precision to wake us all up to glorious possibilities
Brazil, one of the flops at the tournament, have better options at centre-back.
Even their manager, Luis de la Fuente, is not a household name.
He was considered mainly a youth coach until taking charge of Spain in December 2022. Before then, his most notable managerial stint was an 11-game spell in charge of Alaves, who were not a top-flight team at the time.
And yet at this World Cup, De la Fuente has outshone some of the most highly regarded coaches in the game, including Carlo Ancelotti, Mauricio Pochettino and Thomas Tuchel.
And while Argentina have ridden their luck to reach the World Cup final, needing extra-time in two of their knockout matches and stoppage-time winners in the other games, Spain’s passage has been smooth by comparison.
In the last 40 years, only three teams – France (2018), Brazil (2002), Argentina (1986) – have won the World Cup without needing extra-time to advance in any of their fixtures, but La Roja could join that small list if they beat Argentina over 90 minutes.
In a World Cup in which individual talent has been as pronounced as ever, Spain are proving that the strength of the collective with a clearly defined way of playing is still the most potent weapon a team can possess in international football.
Thierry Henry summed it up best recently when he said: ”I experienced it as a player against them, as a coach against them, but also when I played with Barcelona. You have to understand that the ball moves, everyone must stay in their position, believe in their teammates and let the ball fly. They open up every time to attract the team. You pass the ball against France as if they were not there. Whether it is Baena or Nico Williams playing, they know what they have to do since they were nine. Whether it is their first or third cap, they know because they play in the same style.”
In short, there is a confidence and coherence to Spain’s system that every other big nation in the tournament has lacked.
To embed this post, copy the code below on your site
Close
3 Comments
This is YOUR comments community. Stay civil, stay constructive, stay on topic.
Please familiarise yourself with our comments policy
here
before taking part.
Most of Spain's players have had poor seasons. So why are they in the World Cup final?
WHEN GERMANY UNDERWHELMED and exited the World Cup amid a shock round-of-32 loss to Paraguay, it made sense on some level.
Many of their best players had patchy seasons owing to issues relating to form, injuries or both – it was true of Florian Wirtz, Kai Havertz and Jamal Musiala.
Meanwhile, their goalkeeper, Manuel Neuer, is 40. And the man they started up front for that fateful knockout match, Deniz Undav, had a decent tournament but is a 29-year-old playing for VfB Stuttgart who can hardly be classified as an elite striker.
But perhaps most importantly, Germany lack a superstar.
And it has been a tournament defined by superstars – the five top scorers, Lionel Messi, Kylian Mbappé, Erling Haaland, Jude Bellingham and Harry Kane, are all among the most famous names in the sport.
That is not always the case – Oleg Salenko (joint top scorer in 1994) and Miroslav Klose (top scorer in 2006) do not fall into this category.
Yet many of the criticisms levelled at Germany also apply to World Cup finalists, Spain.
La Roja, of course, do have a superstar within their ranks.
However, Lamine Yamal has not fully taken flight at the tournament.
The 19-year-old has featured in all seven of Spain’s matches, but has scored only once and registered no assists – a disappointing return for a player of his quality.
Two years ago at the Euros, Yamal also scored one goal in the tournament, but was a key factor in their victory with the cutting edge he offered on the wing.
While the Barcelona player has shown glimpses of brilliance at this tournament, he came into it with an injury.
His last competitive appearance before the World Cup was with reigning La Liga champions in April, which perhaps explains why he has looked slightly below his brilliant best after being rushed back in time for this summer’s tournament.
Yet Yamal being on the periphery makes Spain’s success all the more remarkable.
And the teenager is not the only player in La Roja’s squad who has come into this tournament on the back of an imperfect season.
In fact, arguably the footballer who has had the best club season of anyone in the Spanish squad – Arsenal goalkeeper David Raya, a contender for Premier League Player of the Year – has not played a single minute of action.
When you go through the entire Spanish starting XI against France, it is remarkable how many had campaigns that were average, at best.
Unai Simón, the 29-year-old goalkeeper, has spent his entire career virtually at Athletic Bilbao, who finished 12th in La Liga last season.
Pedro Porro’s inconsistent displays were one of the many reasons Tottenham found themselves on the brink of Premier League relegation before escaping with a narrow 1-0 win on the final day against Everton.
Pau Cubarsí did have a good season, featuring 48 times in all competitions for Barcelona. Yet he is 19, has no previous major tournament experience and is not the most physical of centre-backs, so there were bound to be question marks at the outset.
Aymeric Laporte, like Simón, was part of the Athletic Bilbao side who struggled in La Liga. Before then, he spent two seasons in the obscurity of Saudi Arabian football, while of his seven campaigns at Man City, only two saw him play regular Premier League football.
Marc Cucurella was another who had a disappointing season for a Chelsea side that finished 10th in the Premier League, so it was perhaps not a big surprise when the London club opted to cut their losses and sell the 27-year-old to Real Madrid for £51.8 million (€61 million).
Rodri is widely regarded as one of the best midfielders in the world and has come into Ballon D’Or contention owing to his performances at this World Cup.
But before this tournament, there was a growing consensus that the 30-year-old was not the same player he once was.
He has played just 24 Premier League games in the past two seasons after suffering an ACL injury in September 2024. Nonetheless, the fact he started every match for Spain at this World Cup suggests he is as fit as he has been in a long time and returning to something like his best form.
Fabian Ruiz has also not been an automatic starter for PSG. He missed a significant chunk of the season through injury and was not involved in either Champions League knockout match against Liverpool, while he only appeared off the bench in their memorable 5-4 win over Bayern Munich.
Yamal’s problems have already been touched on, while injuries and registration issues have contributed to two inconsistent seasons for Dani Olmo since joining Barcelona from RB Leipzig for €60 million.
Alex Baena, meanwhile, is not a first-choice player for Atletico Madrid. He featured in 27 out of 38 La Liga matches and tended to be used as an impact sub for their pivotal Champions League knockout games.
Finally, Mikel Oyarzabal, the highest-scoring of the non-superstar players at this World Cup with five goals, is a 29-year-old who has spent his entire senior career at Real Sociedad.
For four of the past five seasons, the striker has failed to register double figures in La Liga.
This season, the best of his career, Oyarzabal managed 18 goals from 40 appearances in all competitions – a respectable tally but hardly on the level of Kane, Haaland, Mbappé et al.
So why have Spain thrived despite the majority of their starting XI having disappointing club seasons and some not playing at the highest level of the game?
A frequent complaint about the Irish team and several other international sides is that they “don’t have the players” good enough to compete at international level.
Yet there are at least four or five countries who came into this World Cup with a stronger collection of individuals than Spain.
Apart from Yamal, would any of their attackers make the France starting XI?
Are their midfield options as formidable as Portugal’s?
Brazil, one of the flops at the tournament, have better options at centre-back.
Even their manager, Luis de la Fuente, is not a household name.
He was considered mainly a youth coach until taking charge of Spain in December 2022. Before then, his most notable managerial stint was an 11-game spell in charge of Alaves, who were not a top-flight team at the time.
And yet at this World Cup, De la Fuente has outshone some of the most highly regarded coaches in the game, including Carlo Ancelotti, Mauricio Pochettino and Thomas Tuchel.
And while Argentina have ridden their luck to reach the World Cup final, needing extra-time in two of their knockout matches and stoppage-time winners in the other games, Spain’s passage has been smooth by comparison.
In the last 40 years, only three teams – France (2018), Brazil (2002), Argentina (1986) – have won the World Cup without needing extra-time to advance in any of their fixtures, but La Roja could join that small list if they beat Argentina over 90 minutes.
In a World Cup in which individual talent has been as pronounced as ever, Spain are proving that the strength of the collective with a clearly defined way of playing is still the most potent weapon a team can possess in international football.
Thierry Henry summed it up best recently when he said: ”I experienced it as a player against them, as a coach against them, but also when I played with Barcelona. You have to understand that the ball moves, everyone must stay in their position, believe in their teammates and let the ball fly. They open up every time to attract the team. You pass the ball against France as if they were not there. Whether it is Baena or Nico Williams playing, they know what they have to do since they were nine. Whether it is their first or third cap, they know because they play in the same style.”
In short, there is a confidence and coherence to Spain’s system that every other big nation in the tournament has lacked.
To embed this post, copy the code below on your site
2026 world cup Contenders Luis de la Fuente Soccer Argentina Spain