Spain just pulled off something no country has ever done before. They became the first nation to hold both the men's and women's World Cup trophies at the same time. The men's team beat Argentina 1-0 in the World Cup final in New Jersey, while the women's team had already secured their title by defeating England in Sydney back in 2023.
But their dominance stretches far beyond those two trophies. In the past five years, Spain has won a staggering 16 titles across age groups — from under-17 youth teams all the way up to the senior national sides. That's everything from European Championships to World Cups, swept across every level of the game.
The run of success has been historic in another way too. Spain is currently unbeaten in 38 consecutive matches across all competitions — the longest streak any European or South American team has ever achieved.
Much of this transformation traces back to December 2022, when the Spanish football federation took a chance on Luis de la Fuente. He had never managed a major club. Instead, he spent 15 years working his way up through youth teams — coaching Spain's under-19s, under-21s, and Olympic squads before getting the senior job. Few expected him to deliver, especially after Spain's early exit at the previous World Cup.
But De la Fuente brought something valuable: deep relationships with a new generation of Spanish players. Many of them grew up under his guidance in youth academies. Lamine Yamal and Pau Cubarsi — both just 19 years old — already have World Cup winners' medals around their necks. Juan Mata, who played under De la Fuente at the under-21 level, said the coach understood the style and the players from years of working with them.
"Once we finished the game, there were footballers who said 'coach, now what else is there to win as we have won everything in all the categories'," De la Fuente told reporters in New York. "We came to the conclusion that what remains is the next match in September because this team are relentless."
The ripple effects extend well beyond the national teams. At least one in four Premier League managers starting the 2026-27 season will be Spanish — a testament to the quality of coaches coming out of Spain. And women's football in the country has undergone a dramatic transformation. Ten years ago, players at clubs like Barcelona covered their own transport costs to training. There was no dedicated academy for girls, and players earned no money. Now, Spain's women's team has won back-to-back Nations Leagues and is among the world's elite.
With young stars rising and a system built to nurture them, most observers expect Spain's dominance to continue for years to come.