Seventeen titles in five years - why Spain are a dominant force
We look at what's behind Spain's dominance of football with 17 titles in five years across all age groups and in the men's and women's game.
Spain has achieved 17 world and European titles across all age groups and in both the men's and women's game over the last five years. Their latest triumph was winning the Under-20 Women's World Cup after a penalty shootout against Korea. This victory adds to their impressive record, which includes being the first nation to be men's and women's World Cup winners simultaneously.
The men's team won the World Cup in 2023, beating Argentina 1-0 in the final, and also secured the Nations League in 2023 and gold at the 2024 Olympics. The women's team won the Nations League in 2024 and 2025, and also triumphed in the Women's World Cup final in Sydney in 2023, defeating England. According to Spanish football expert Guillem Balague, this dominance is like a "perfect storm" due to the cultural approach to football in Spain.
Spain's impressive record also includes five Under-19 European championships between 2022 and 2026, and one Under-17 World Cup in 2022. Their men's team previously won the World Cup in 2010 and the Euros in 2008.
Brief written by urgent.news from BBC Sport, BBC Sport Football — 2 reports on this story. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
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