Only France surpasses their record, while Brazil, Argentina and Uruguay have also won the main titles to which they aspire
MADRID, 24 Jun. (EUROPA PRESS) –
The Spanish team lifted last Sunday, after beating Croatia on penalties, the 2022-2023 League of Nations, a trophy that breaks a drought of more than 11 years and swells an ‘almost’ perfect record, in a showcase in which They already shone three Eurocups, a World Cup and an Olympic gold, among their main successes, in addition to ‘reigning’ also in the U-20 World Cup and the U-21 European Championship.
Luis de la Fuente and his pupils touched glory in Rotterdam (Netherlands) and returned Spain to the showcase with a long-suffering, but meritorious victory. A trophy that heals, at least for the moment, an open wound of more than a decade, with several identity crises, and allows Spain to boast of showcases. The new team, in full generational change and with Haro’s at the helm, hopes to finally take over from a golden group, although orphaned since 2012.
‘La Roja’ inaugurated its record in the 1960s, when the Eurocup tournament was born. With José Villalonga as coach in a squad made up of players of the stature of Gento, Luis Suárez, Amancio or Iribar, the hosts Spain made history by proclaiming themselves continental champions in 1964.
However, the trophy was not the beginning of a golden age in big events, as the team suffered a 44-year drought until their next title. Only Olympic gold in Barcelona 92′, the only one in Spain in this discipline, from a team with Pep Guardiola, Santi Cañizares, Luis Enrique or Kiko Narváez was an oasis in the desert.
It was necessary to wait 16 years and various disappointments for Xavi, Iniesta, Torres, Villa, Senna, Fábregas and company to emulate the glory and make the football scene fall in love with the achievement of EURO 2008 by beating Germany, led by Luis Aragonés and through of a style as recognizable as it is attractive.
The ‘shorts’ neutralized other continental powers to regain the European throne, after a painful period far from the best. Spain trusted its model and cemented the reconquest of Europe and the world from that balsamic and premonitory triumph of all the successes that were to come.
ONLY FRANCE EXCEEDS THE SPANISH PALMARES IN EUROPE
Although the most relevant chapter of the Spanish ‘tiki-taka’ was reserved for 2010 and the first embroidered star on the shield. Already with Vicente del Bosque, the team arrived in South Africa with the vellum of a great candidate, and more than fulfilled. Portugal, Paraguay, Germany and the Netherlands did not stop the inertia of a champion team, which reached the world throne in the 116th minute of extra time in the final against the Dutch, the second joy of a three-pointed crown.
Because in 2012, at the Euro Cup in Poland and Ukraine, this generation offered a football recital throughout the tournament, crushing Italy 4-0 in the final. Nobody until then had won the Eurocup, World Cup and Eurocup consecutively.
Thus, the League of Nations harvested last Sunday is the fifth title in a sports curriculum that is also brilliant in the lower categories and is in which the two main continental and world tournaments such as the U-20 World Cup and the U-21 European Championship. Spain is the country with the most continental crowns in Under-21 with five gimped (1986, 1998, 2011, 2013 and 2019), while the Under-20 was proclaimed world champion for the first and only time in 1999 in Nigeria, with Xavi o Casillas in the team and beating Japan 4-0 in the final.
However, it is an almost perfect record because the now-defunct Confederations Cup resisted him, in which he participated twice, in 2009 and 2013. In his debut, he lost (0-2) in the semifinals against the United States and in his second attempt was overwhelmed by hosts Brazil (3-0).
Still, it’s an enviable showcase that can only be surpassed by France. The French team has also been world champion, in 1998 and 2018, Europe, in 1984 and 2002, League of Nations, in 2021, Olympic, in 1984, won two Confederations, in 2001 and 2003, and also an old ‘Finalissima’, a tournament that CONMEBOL and UEFA have now recovered to face their respective champions, in 1985. And, like Spain, it also knows what it is to be crowned in the lower categories, with a European Under-21 in 1988 and a Under-20 World Cup in 2013.
BRAZIL, ARGENTINA AND URUGUAY PRESUMAT OF ACHIEVEMENTS IN SOUTH AMERICA
In South America, Brazil, Argentina and Uruguay can also boast all their possible trophies. ‘Canarinha’ boasts 5 World Cups, 9 Copa América and 4 Confederations Cups, and ‘Albiceleste’, together with ‘Celeste’, occupies first place in the table of teams with the most Copa América titles with 15.
In Qatar, an Argentine team led by Messi won the third World Cup for Argentina, which also has two ‘Finalissimas’, including the last one (2022), and a Confederations Cup (1992). Nor are the Charrúas, who lifted two World Cups, far behind.
The three teams have also won Olympic gold, all of them on two occasions, and they also know what it is to win the U-20 World Cup -Brazil (5), Argentina (6) and Uruguay (1)- and the South American Sub-20 -Brazil (12), Argentina (5) and Uruguay (8)-.