Spain won Euro 2024 with a teenager, Lamine Yamal, as their best player. They are playing the most attractive, dominant football on the planet right now, and Luis de la Fuente has built a side that mixes tiki-taka passing with real pace on the wings. Pedri controls the midfield like a new Xavi. Rodri wins almost everything in the centre. Yamal does things with a football that grown men cannot.
Why do so many people fear Spain?
Start with the three names.
- Yamal is a Barcelona teenager with a European Championship already won, and there is a strong case that no teenager in football history has been more talented.
- Rodri won the 2024 Ballon d'Or at Manchester City. He is the best defensive midfielder on the planet and controls games from the base of midfield.
- Pedri's passing and ball control at Barcelona are on another level, and he is the obvious heir to Xavi and Iniesta.
Then add the evidence. Spain won Euro 2024 playing the most dominant football at the tournament, and they arrive as European champions. De la Fuente has blended young stars with experienced winners into a squad with very few weak spots.
Put it together and Spain are the team everyone would rather avoid at the 2026 World Cup. They have a Ballon d'Or winner in Rodri, the most gifted teenager around in Yamal, and a system that takes opponents apart. If Rodri is fit and Yamal keeps developing at this pace, Spain could win the lot.
Tomorrow: number 3.
